Southern Charm
by missingJane
Summary: The FBI has secretly been called to a small South Texas town to help make an arrest. While it is the end of one crime spree, it is just the beginning of another. With a town crawling with FBI agents, how is it possible for a monstrous crime to go undetected right under their noses?
1. The End and the Beginning

Hello again after a long pause from me. Summer is over and with the autumn chill, it feels like a good time to start writing again. This story takes place at the time Jane is in Austin working for the FBI, but he and Lisbon are not an official couple. It is before Marcus Pike showed up. Jane loves Lisbon but he has done nothing to let her know. And we all know how that turned out.

Southern Charm

Chapter 1

The End and the Beginning

(Cujo's Bar, Stanley, South Texas)

It was getting late. The bar was dank and smokey, filled with shift workers either decompressing after a hard day on the job or those loading up with booze to get through their next shift. Stanley was a very small town surrounded by even smaller towns, but at least here, there were jobs. Those happily employed blew off steam most nights by sitting in here, the only bar on Stanley's main street. Scattered amongst these hard working men and women sat the usual low lifes that somehow survived on the margins of society in small towns and bustling cities. They were the regulars, lining up at the door of the bar early in the day to start drinking away their empty hours. They were content to sit on bar stools and lean back watching the comings and goings of the hard working late night crowd. Here and there, tucked into corner booths in near darkness, couples conversed in hushed tones, not wanting to draw attention to themselves or their extra-marital affairs.

A dark haired waitress slid between the fawning men with her tray filled with glasses of beer, shucking their hands away with disgust as she passed through the room. She hated this particular job, but it came with the territory. The sooner she got out of there the better. Behind the counter the bartender and his new assistant kept the booze coming. The older man kept a wary eye on his younger helper, a blond man who could use a shave and a bath but otherwise picked up bartending fairly quickly. When he wasn't slinging drinks, the blond man kept his eye on the crowd and the waitresses.

As the night wore on two men in particular began to attract attention. They not only drank the most expensive whiskey in the joint, they began to offer drinks to their new 'friends' lined up at the bar. As the word of free booze spread, all eyes and smiles turned to Floyd and Tank, well known local criminals who suddenly seemed to have an endless amount of spending money. The waitress handed out another round of beer and received a hefty tip and a slap on the ass as she leaned over the bar to deposit the empty glasses. As the colour rose in her face, she glared at the bartender and his younger protege and dropped her tray in disgust. These drunks were scum. She wanted to be home in her cozy pajamas, drinking a glass of wine reading a trashy romance novel. Instead she was here, with these boozy blowhards.

Half an hour later Floyd and Tank were well and truly blind drunk. While Tank put his head down on the bar and seemed to be sleeping, Floyd was holding court, waving his beer tankard aloft and screaming for another round for his good friends. When the new bartender was too slow pouring Floyd another beer, he was rewarded with a face full of stale beer that Floyd found on a nearby table and tossed with a whoop of joy. Wiping his now wet shirt off with his hands, the assistant bartender wiped his face on a clean bar towel and scowled in annoyance but said nothing. He concentrated on pouring the beer and sliding it over to his pontificating customer. He could always take a shower as soon as he got off work.

"How you gonna pay for this Floyd? You ain't got nothin' in the bank!" someone across the room shouted, growing suspicious of Floyd's largesse. "Whaddya do? Rob a bank?" he snickered as he drank his free beer. More than a few other drinkers were wondering the exact same thing.

Floyd's heavy head swivelled around looking for the source of the insult. Eyeing an equally drunk flunky in the corner, he raised his fist and tried his best to look menacing.

"I got plenty 'a money you shithead! Morn' you'll ever see!"

"Bullshit!"

"Bullshit? You callin' me a liar Cassidy?"

Floyd was swaying on his feet, his balance gone from alcohol and exhaustion. He'd been up for at least 30 hours now and it showed. But no way was he going to let that shitter Cassidy make him look bad.

"I got more money than you'll ever see!" he repeated to the roar of approval from the men holding him up. And then he did it. To his everlasting regret he did it. He let it all go to hell in one careless moment of affronted pride.

"See this?" Floyd said, waving a $100 bill in the air. "I got so many more 'a these back at the trailer I ain't even had a chance to count'em up yet. Old man Murray never put a dime in the bank and you all know'd it! But you never did nothing 'bout it! But me...me and Tank...we know'd Murray was sittin' on a goldmine out there at his place. A lifetime of money just sittin' there for the takin'!"

A hush fell over the room as Floyd's words sank in. Drunk as they were, the crowd in the bar knew what Floyd was admitting to. The bartender stopped wiping down glasses to listen while his assistant nodded at the dark haired waitress. She reached for something in her pocket.

"That was you and Tank? You killed old man Murray and torched his house, his barns?" a voice asked in shock. "Just for the money?"

Floyd mistook the crowd's shock and horror as admiration and ate it all up.

"It was easy as shit...he fell down after just one punch, hit his head and didn't get up again. The house was ready t'fall down anyway, so we just helped it along some…" he boasted, flicking his cigarette lighter with glee.

As his 'friends' began to back up and stand away from Floyd, the door of the bar flew open and the room filled with heavily armed cops, led by a stocky Asian man. The waitress dropped her dish towel and stood with her feet planted firmly as she raised a gun and aimed it at Floyd's forehead. The blond man behind the counter leaned over Tank and neatly handcuffed him with a delighted smile on his face. He'd always wanted to do that! Tank slept on...

The arrests came as a shock to the murderer and his accomplice. A small-time crook with lofty ambitions to be a crime king-pin in his seedy town, he saw his dreams shot to hell when he couldn't keep his mouth shut. Floyd never had two cents to rub together but now he was buying round after round for his new 'friends' for the last 2 nights? This was his moment of madness, the tipping of the scale in favour of the law. As his drunken tale of robbery and murder fell from his inebriated lips, he sealed his and his partner's fate.

Lisbon kept her gun levelled at Floyd's astonished face while the police began to clear the bar and roused Tank from his peaceful sleep. Jane had slipped off his apron, washed his sticky hands at the bar tap and came around to keep Lisbon company until Floyd was led off in handcuffs to meet his fate.

Cho made sure Floyd and Tank were secured in the back of a paddy wagon before he returned to the bar to greet his friends.

"Nice job! Too bad it took three days to get Floyd to confess. Better late than never."

"Thanks Cho. I was ready to shoot the jerks myself to get outta here" Teresa groused, feeling filthy and exhausted. Cho turned his attention to Jane, who was rocking back and forth on his heels, delighted with the outcome of their little ruse. For someone doused in stale beer, he was quite happy.

"That was fun!" Jane smirked, pleased with the non-violent end to their three day stakeout of the bar.

"Fun?" Cho repeated, not expecting such a light hearted reply. Teresa didn't let Jane's comment go unchallenged.

"Fun? Easy for you to say. I didn't see anyone slapping your ass every time you walked by" Lisbon snarled, eager to go home to her motel room and take a long hot shower. Given a chance she'd burn the scanty costume she had been forced to wear.

"Oh I had my share of touchy feely moments Lisbon. Ever heard of cougars? They like the younger blonds" Jane began to tease until a hard slap to his shoulder stopped him from continuing. "But I feel your pain" he said contritely, then shut up to avoid more bodily harm. "And, don't forget it was me who got doused in beer, so that counts for something."

Cho just snorted and turned to rejoin the officers taking notes from the patrons of the bar.

"Let me take you home" Jane offered, knowing full well that Lisbon had taken the brunt of the abuse during their stakeout of the bar for three long days. "You look like you could sleep for a week."

Teresa took off her dirty apron and threw it on the nearest table, rolling her aching shoulders in relief.

"Deal. Let's get out of here."

Jane raised his arm and guided her through the throng of officers and patrons, making sure Lisbon got through the crowd untouched. She had been so convincing playing the part of a rough and tumble waitress, and he knew she had put up with more shit in the last 72 hours than he ever would have tolerated, but, it was her job. His respect for her, as usual, grew by the hour.

Jane and Lisbon found their rental car at the back of the parking lot and left the bar to Cho and his team for follow-up. As the flashing red and blue police lights receded in the darkness they could finally relax.

"You stink" Lisbon mumbled, taking bobby pins out of her messy hair.

"I thought I'd try something new" Jane countered, knowing full well she was right. He smelled like a distillery. Soon he'd be back as his own motel where he could make himself a fresh cup of tea and shower until the water turned cold. He and Lisbon had not managed to find rooms at the same motel, so he would meet up with her and Cho in the morning. They travelled in silence for the short trip to the motel, but by the time Jane pulled up to her door, Lisbon was already dozing quietly.

Jane walked around the car, opened the door then roused his sleepy partner so that she could unlock her motel room door and go to bed. That accomplished, he said his goodnights and returned to his car.

And disappeared.


	2. The Stop

Wow, thank you to everyone who favourited this story already! It's so nice to hear from all of you again. A special shout out to Munkeyfump20, who is having a very tough time right now. Despite illness, she is still writing her own fanfiction, so she deserves a round of applause for her efforts. She has also read every Mentalist fan fic out there so that is also amazing. Stay strong Munkeyfump20! Since the weekend is almost here, I thought I'd drop another chapter before we all get busy with the Canadian Thanksgiving celebration. Happy Turkey Day!

Southern Charm

Chapter 2

The Stop

Jane yawned with fatigue as he pulled away from Lisbon's motel. He and Cho were staying at the same motel on the other side of town and would most likely not see each other until they all met for breakfast. His sticky hands were beginning to irritate him, and Jane couldn't wait to deposit his beer soaked clothes into a laundry bag for washing once he got back to Austin, a good 90 minutes away. While this trip to Stanley was not a particularly difficult assignment, the authorities in this backwater town had made the right decision in contacting the FBI to help with the unsolved crime of murder and arson. The local police didn't seem to be able to track down the killers so the call went out to Austin and Cho turned up with his best people.

Case closed.

Jane was now on a dark country road heading towards his motel. It was approaching 2 a.m. and he was bone tired. He had to fight to keep his eyes open in the darkness, but soon a single headlight in the rear view mirror caught his attention. Someone on a motorcycle was approaching him at speed so Jane sat up to stay alert. Soon enough the cyclist sped past Jane's compact car and would soon disappear.

Except he didn't. Instead of continuing on at his breakneck pace, the man on the motorcycle slammed on his brakes and started to weave all over the dusty road, pulling ahead, then slowing down to force Jane to hit his brakes and match his speed. Jane grabbed his cell phone and turned on the video camera, then quickly placed it behind his visor so that he could catch the motorcyclist in the act. It was more a case of having proof of what happened in case the rental car was damaged. The cycle crisscrossed in front of Jane, seemingly playing chicken with him. As Jane hit the brakes time and again, his car swerved all over the road to avoid hitting the crazed motorcyclist. Just when Jane was ready to stop and pull over, the motorcycle disappeared again at speed, vanishing over the crest of the hill ahead. Sighing with relief and confusion, Jane grabbed his phone and prepared to switch it off and put it back on the seat beside him. However, just before he hit the 'off' button, and resumed his journey, he looked up to see blue and red flashing lights in his rear view mirror. He put his camera back in place on the visor, this time facing into the car. The lack of street lights helped to shield the presence of the little phone on black visor.

"Oh now you show up!" Jane hissed under his breath as a police car drove up behind him, his siren blaring. Jane pulled over, not needing this extra aggravation.

The driver of the police car sat in his car for a long time, keeping Jane waiting. Knowing not to step out of his car, Jane waited to see what this cop wanted with him. Finally the driver's door opened and a stocky cop approached Jane's rental car. Knocking on the window, he indicated he wanted to talk.

Jane rolled down his driver's window ⅓ of the way and smiled wearily. "Evening officer...Tiller."

The cop didn't reply but took out his notebook.

"I hope you saw that" Jane said, assuming the cop had witnessed the erratic behaviour of the guy on the motorcycle.

"License and registration papers" Tiller said.

Jane just nodded and knew he'd have to play along before he could continue on his way. He rummaged around in the glove compartment to get his rental papers for the car and pulled his driver's license out of his pocket.

The cop looked at the documentation and scowled. "This not your car?"

"No officer, as you can see, it's a rental. My car is back in Austin. I'll be going home tomorrow" Jane explained to the man.

"Uh huh"

The cop wrote something in his notebook, then walked around the car, examining it for….what? Jane sat in silent annoyance. He was too tired to play games with this cop otherwise he'd have had him tied up in knots by now. He also didn't want to piss him off. The cop came back and stood by the window again, as another cop emerged from the police car behind Jane. Now two officers glowered at him through the window.

"You were weaving all over the road Mr. Jane. Any reason for that kind of behaviour?" the first cop asked.

"I was being tagged by a guy on a motorcycle. He drove past me then slammed on the brakes, slowing me down. From there he kept weaving back and forth in front of me so I had to move to avoid hitting him. Then, he sped up and disappeared over that hill" Jane said, pointing at the crest in the road ahead. "If you were behind me you must have seen him driving like a maniac" Jane added, hoping they'd nod in agreement.

"A motorcyclist made you drive like a lunatic...that's what you want us to believe?" the second cop said in disbelief. Officer Bullock, it said on his name tag.

"You had anything to drink tonight Mr. Jane?" the first cop asked, eyeing Jane's beer soaked clothing. The smell of beer permeated the air in the car around Jane.

"No, nothing. But I did get a full glass of beer thrown at me" Jane admitted, knowing full well how lame that sounded. "I was working at the bar in town with my…"

"You smell like a brewery but you didn't have a single drink? You think we're dumb mister?" Officer Bullock said, cutting him off before he could explain why he was at the bar with Lisbon.

"I know I smell like I fell into a vat of beer. But it's only on my clothes, I didn't drink anything because I was working. At the bar. Look, I know it sounds crazy, but it was a sting operation we set up with the local authorities to catch a murderer. I work for the FBI. They must have told the local Sheriff what we were going to do."

Nothing could have sounded less true than what Jane had just admitted. He needed Cho or Lisbon to corroborate his story and right now, neither of them were close by. He knew he was in trouble and trying his usual tricks wouldn't help with two gun toting local cops.

Cop # 1 turned to cop #2 and broke out into fits of laughter. Officer Bullock just stared at Jane with a steely glint in his eyes. This was bullshit alright.

"So let me get this straight...you're an FBI agent but you work at Cujo's bar, where you let people douse you in booze but you yourself don't drink anything at all...have I got that right?" Officer Tiller said in between snorts of derision.

"Let me call my boss and he'll explain it all to you. His name is Agent Kimball Cho. He's wrapping things up at Cujo's and then he'll be going back to the same motel where I'm staying. If we stay out here much longer he'll drive right by us. There's another agent in town also, Agent Teresa Lisbon. I just dropped her off at her motel. I can call her for you and wake her up so she can verify that what I'm saying is true" Jane suggested. While he was telling the truth, he knew it sounded ridiculous. Jane cursed his own stupidity. He had left his FBI ID card back in his motel room. Cop #2 stepped forward, sick of all this lying.

"Step outta the car!" Officer Bullock ordered Jane, while the older cop stood with his feet splayed and his hand on his gun.

Jane sighed in frustration. This was bullshit but he had to go along with it until he could tell them about the man on the motorcycle again. He opened his door and stepped out, keeping his hands in front of him, just in case.

"Up against the car, spread your legs and put your hands on the hood of the car!" Bullock barked, taking the confrontation to the next level. Jane couldn't believe this was happening, that they didn't see the motorcycle harassing him for the last 3 miles. Those cops had to have seen it all happen. Taking a fraction too long to turn around and do as he was told, Jane got body slammed up against his rental car as Officer Tiller kicked his legs apart and held him tight against the car while Officer Bullock frisked him, thoroughly. Not finding any weapons, he pulled Jane's hands down and around his back in a well practiced motion, ending with the metallic click of handcuffs being snapped into place.

"What is this? Why are you cuffing me?" Jane said in frustration, trying so hard not to insult the men and make the situation so much worse.

"Just a precaution, for your safety and ours. Play along with us and we'll all soon be on our way home" Bullock said. "Now sit down over there and stay quiet while we search your car" he added, pointing to the sandy strip of land running along the side of the road. Jane got a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach at these words. Once he was down low, he'd have no advantage at all with these officers. At least his car was clean. That should help. He offered up a silent plea that Cho would drive by any second now.

While the first officer kept a close eye on Jane the second cop opened all the doors and started a thorough search of the glove compartment, beneath the seats, around the frame, cupholders, in the trunk and under the car. At least, it appeared he was searching. In reality he was just going through the motions, barely paying attention to what he was doing. When he checked the pockets on the back of the front seats, he straightened up and emerged from the car holding two small plastic bags.

"Well look what we found!" he gloated, shining his flashlight at the substance in the baggies. "I'd say that's marijuana, and this…" he said, examining the contents of the second bag, "could be methaphetamines, or cocaine."

Jane looked at the bags of drugs in horror, knowing full well he had not put them there, and no rental car company would supply cars fully loaded with air conditioning, seat warmers, and oh, yes, drugs. This whole thing was a sting operation run by two rogue cops and Jane had fallen right into their trap. As the cops laughed together, Jane knew Bullock had planted the drugs in the car himself, and that now, life was going to get much harder. Taking a test kit out of his pocket, Bullock put a few grains of the white powder into the tester vial and shook it rapidly, watching as the colour of the solution changed from a light pink to blue.

"Bingo!" the cop said happily, turning to Jane. "On your feet!"

Officer Tiller grabbed Jane by the upper arm and hauled him to his feet while the younger cop approached, holding the drugs aloft for him to see.

"Turns out you aren't a super agent, or a bartender. You're a drug trafficker Mr. Jane, and you are under arrest for driving while under the influence of alcohol, and for the transportation and trafficking of marijuana and cocaine!"

"I'm not drunk! You didn't give me a breathalyzer test! And you planted those drugs! I can prove everything I told you is true if you just make two phone calls. As for the drugs, you know where they came from" Jane hissed out, angry, and tired. This was ridiculous. He had to contact Teresa or Cho, fast, before he got booked, fingerprinted and swallowed up by the local justice system.

"Shut up! Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law, so take my advice and shut the fuck up!" the older cop yelled, dragging Jane forward toward the police car. It took both officers to man-handle Jane into the back seat, but eventually they had him secured and locked in. They drove off quickly, leaving the rental car on the side of the road to be towed away later. The little camera kept recording...

Five minutes later, Cho drove by Jane's rental car, eager for his bed and a good night's sleep. He saw the abandoned car on the side of the road and never gave it another minute's thought.


	3. Boys in Blue

Ok, into the meat and potatoes of the story. I did some research and got two very different answers to a technical question. I wanted to know if a GPS on a phone would work even after the phone battery died. One answer said no, if the battery died, so did the GPS. Another answer said the GPS would continue to send signals to the satellite above Earth. I needed to know to make this story accurate, but since the information was contradictory, I made a decision for the sake of the story. If I am wrong, then you'll know why. Enjoy.

Southern Charm

Chapter 3

Boys in Blue

Cho pulled into the motel parking lot and glanced around to see where Jane had left his rental car. There were 2 of the same type of silver grey car parked close to the front of the building, so Cho assumed one of them belonged to Jane. There had been no need for Lisbon to rent a car for herself since she and Jane went back and forth to the bar together each day until they had wrapped up the case. Cho slipped his key into the lock on his door and was in bed, snoring lightly within 15 minutes. He'd find Jane in the morning and meet up with Lisbon for a big breakfast before they all drove back to Austin.

The night couldn't have been more different for Patrick Jane. He bumped along the dark country road in the cramped backseat of the cruiser, his hands painfully bound behind his back in steel handcuffs. His lockpick kit was back in Austin, in the pocket of his navy vest. Fat lot of good it was going to do him now. Adrenaline was coursing through Jane's veins, fueling his anger and making his heart race. Crooked cops planting drugs on innocent drivers wasn't a new scam, but Jane was stunned by their boldness. Obviously this was something they had done many times before. He hoped that his cell phone camera had captured them in the act and could be used as evidence in court.

The two officers in the front seat didn't talk on their way into town, but Tiller did radio ahead to dispatch that they were bringing in a suspected drug trafficker. The tiny hairs on the back of Jane's neck stood up when he heard those words again, even though he knew by morning these same officers would be apologizing profusely to him and Cho for planting the drugs in Jane's rental car before they were led off in handcuffs themselves. The Sheriff would have to explain his lack of investigative oversight into his officers' illegal conduct, and both Bullock and Tiller would be facing a future in prison.

Hearing their contrite apologies and seeing them led away, under arrest, would be worth all this trouble, thought Jane. He'd make them squirm for quite a long time knowing Cho would let him needle them. Nursing that thought kept Jane occupied until they arrived at the back of the local Sheriff's department. The car drove through a gate and entered a small parking lot close to the back of the building. Tiller and Bullock got out of the car and spoke to the officer standing by the locked rear door. Nodding, he turned and unlocked the door while Tiller and Bullock pulled Jane out of the backseat of the police cruiser. With a cop on each arm, Jane walked inside the dimly lit pale grey hallway that led to an elevator. They entered the lift in silence, three men with vastly different agendas. Tiller and Bullock smirked with satisfaction for a job well executed, and their affronted prisoner kept a grim grip on his patience until he could shame these men once and for all.

The elevator signalled their arrival at the main floor and the three men once again walked down a dim hallway until they arrived at a small brightly lit room. Jane looked around for someone to speak to, to explain his side of the arrest story, but it appeared that only he and these two officers were in the building this late at night. Bullock took the handcuffs off Jane and folded his arms over his burly chest.

"Process him Fred" Tiller barked, heading over to the coffee machine. Bullock kept a close watch on Jane, so much so that eventually Patrick began to feel as if Bullock took an unhealthy interest in him. Time would tell.

Bullock stepped over to Jane and shoved him over against the wall then proceeded to take his mug shot - front, side, other side, all while Jane held up a board with his name and date and prisoner number pegged onto it. That done, he was led over to a high table where he was fingerprinted. Frisked again, Jane was handed a neatly folded pile of clothes and told to get changed out of his smelly beer stained clothes and into his new uniform. There was no privacy, and Bullock's heavy eyes were on him as he slowly disrobed and stepped into his grey shirt and grey pants. His shoes were confiscated and replaced with soft soled slippers.

"Gimme that!" Bullock barked, pointing at Jane's hand. Jane slipped his wristwatch off and handed it to the man in silence.

"And that!" Bullock sneered, pointing again.

Jane was confused, then looked down and around to see what the man wanted, then felt sick as he realized he had to hand over his wedding ring.

"I can't. It's my wedding ring. I can't take it off" Jane started to explain to the young cop, but the thuggish officer stepped closer.

"I know what the fuck it is! Give it to me! Now!"

Jane weighed his options. Taking off his wedding ring for any reason was not something he could do. His promises to remember Angela and Charlotte were tied up with that slim band of gold. But to argue, refuse...what would that cost him in the short term?

"No. It's all I have left of them…" Jane said softly.

Tiller turned and took a renewed interest in his prisoner. "What? Did she leave you? Take the kid with her? I'd say she was a pretty smart lady!" he laughed. "Bullock, stopped fucking around, take the ring and let's get going!".

Bullock stepped right up to Jane, nose to nose, his hand out, and his other hand on the handle of his gun.

"You aren't in any position to resist, so if you don't want me to shoot your fingers off, give me that damned ring!" he hissed.

Jane looked down at his left hand, rubbing the warm golden band with his index finger and thumb. Angela would understand, he knew that. She wouldn't want him to get shot just for the ring. Bullock started to pull his gun out of his holster. Jane slipped the band off his ring finger and held it out. He'd find his ring later, no matter what, and make Bullock pay dearly for his demand.

"See, that wasn't so hard was it?" Fred Bullock sneered, shoving the ring into a brown manila envelope holding Jane's driver's license, watch and money.

"Don't worry. You'll get it back...in a few years!" he laughed, throwing the envelope into a desk drawer by the door.

"I want to make a phone call" Jane said to Tiller, who was watching from the far side of the room.

"Nope."

"I know my rights and I get to make a phone call!" Jane persisted.

"Says who? You been watching too much TV!" Tiller laughed, signalling to Bullock to stop all this nonsense.

Bullock grasped Jane's upper arm and walked him to another hallway that led to a long narrow room that held 4 empty jail cells. The door to cell #1 swung open and Jane was unceremoniously thrust forward into the small space. He turned and faced Bullock, oddly happy that he was now separated from the big cop by sturdy iron bars.

"Enjoy yourself tonight Officer Bullock. It's going to be the last peaceful night you ever have. Remember that when I come for you" Jane said in a restrained warning.

Bullock walked up to the bars on the cell and smacked them with his nightstick, narrowly missing Jane's fingers.

"Big talk for such a pathetic man" Bullock sneered, clearly enjoying the power his uniform gave him. "Sleep well princess!" Bullock grinned, smacking his lips into a kiss.

"Same to you. Enjoy it while you can" Jane replied, knowing that once Cho discovered what had happened to his consultant, the shit would hit the fan.

"Ooo...I'm scared!" Bullock laughed as he sauntered off to grab a cup of coffee before Tiller took it all for himself.

Jane sighed deeply and got a grip on his emotions, employing a bit of biofeedback to slow his still racing heart. His right hand automatically went to his ring finger to roll the gold band in frustration, but it was gone. Again his heart dropped to his feet. Such a small thing gave him so much comfort. He shook his head and had to move past his maudlin thoughts because he had work to do. When he heard Bullock's footsteps disappear around the corner he felt free to look around at his new lodgings. It was exactly as he expected. He was in a small cell, maybe 6X8 feet, furnished with an iron bed welded to the floor. Running his hand over the slim mattress, he studied the worn out sheets topped with a scratchy wool blanket and tried to plumb up the paper thin pillow. Sitting down heavily on the unyielding mattress, he eyed the ancient sink and toilet in the corner. Not the Ritz but it would have to do while Jane plotted his revenge on his captors.

Feeling the crash after his adrenaline rush, Jane lay back on the bed and pulled his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them to calm himself down. After a session of breathing exercises, he was finally able to think. His phone was still in the car. If someone found the car and the phone, perhaps they would check it before stealing it and maybe realize the owner of the phone was in trouble. Maybe, perhaps, if…

Jane knew the GPS on the phone would tip Cho off to the car's last location, until the battery died, so that would help, but after that, Cho and Lisbon would have to figure out what had happened to him.

A large clock hung on the wall above the door leading to the hallway. It was nearly 3 am. Jane stayed awake, all nervous energy and anger, listening cautiously for any sign of activity outside the holding cells. For a while he could hear Bullock and Tiller laughing in the booking room while a fresh pot of coffee was brewed. The smell was inviting and made Jane aware of his rumbling stomach. After about 15 minutes, he heard footsteps and the slamming of the heavy steel office door leading to the elevator. When he heard the bell ding, and the door slide shut, Jane knew Bullock and Tiller had gone back downstairs and out to finish their shift.

He was alone.

Now he got busy.

He hopped off the bed and lifted the mattress, shoving it onto the floor. The frame of the bed was rudimentary. A sturdy steel platform nestled in the frame, explaining why the bed was so incredibly hard and unyielding. Jane ran his long fingers around the perimeter of the bed frame and felt for a loose wire. Nothing. He needed something to use to pick the lock on his door and set himself free, but there was absolutely nothing in his cell he could use to unlock the simple but effective lock.

Setting himself free had been his only plan, that and calling Lisbon from the booking office to tell her where he was and why he had been arrested. Unless he could get to a phone before the day shift arrived he was screwed. He prayed his missing rental car would tip off Cho and Lisbon to his predicament. Seeing that he was going to remain caged for the night, Jane pulled his mattress back onto the frame and made up his bed. If he couldn't get away, perhaps he could at least get a few hours of sleep before he had to face whatever the morning would bring.

(6:30 a.m. Stanley, Texas)

Tiller and Bullock were almost done their night shift and couldn't wait to get out of their uniforms, slip on their blue jeans and cotton shirts, then head over to Billy's BBQ for a quick snack before they went home to their families. They were almost back at the Sheriff's Department when Bullock's personal cell phone rang. Tiller cast a disapproving glance at his partner. No personal calls while on duty unless it was a real emergency. Bullock shrugged and answered the call.

"Yep!"

A long silence followed while the man listened to the news his caller was revealing.

"What? You shittin' me?"

Tiller looked at his partner and listened closely. Bullock was clearly hearing something crazy.

"When?"

Another long pause followed as the person on the other end of the line filled Bullock in on the details.

"Holy shit…" Bullock mumbled, turning pale. "Ok, thanks for the update. Yeah yeah...we'll get together over a few beers this weekend, OK buddy? Yeah. Bye."

Bullock slowly slid his phone back into his pocket and stared straight ahead, unaware of the presence of the other man in the car.

"Ok what the hell just happened?" Tiller barked, clearly intrigued by the call.

Bullock turned to face his older partner and shook his head in concern. "It's true."

Tiller was losing patience. Just what the fuck was true?

"Quit jerking me around Fred. What the hell has happened?"

Bullock's mind was racing as the news he had just heard was scaring the crap out of him. He had to tell Tiller. Together they could come up with a plan.

"That was Carl Kramer over in Delmont County. He's a cop over there and … and he was just tellin' me about a sting operation they ran last night here in Stanley at Cujo's bar. They were looking to catch the perp who killed old man Murray and set his house and barn on fire."

"And, so? Why didn't we know about this?" Tiller asked, the cop in him insulted that police from another County had come into his territory and made an arrest.

"It was top secret, couldn't trust anyone outside the team with the plan to catch the killers at Cujo's bar. It took 3 days, but eventually the perps got shit-faced drunk and admitted to stealing the old man's money, killing him and setting everything on fire."

"Huh. That sucks that they didn't trust us, but at least now we know how old man Murray died and why. So what else did your friend tell you because you look like shit!" Tiller said, guessing something far worse was yet to be revealed.

"The cops from Delmont County didn't do the sting on their own. They called in the FBI." Bullock turned to face Tiller again. "The FBI was crawling all over Stanley last night."

As this news registered in Tiller's brain, he too suddenly turned pale. "Oh my God…" he whispered.

"That Patrick Jane fella that we arrested this morning on a DUI and drug charge was telling the truth. We arrested an FBI agent on a trumped up charge and he knows it!" Bullock said in anguish. "We're screwed!"

Tiller pulled the cruiser over to the shoulder of the road to let this news sink in. Bullock was right, they were screwed if this ever got out. Patrick Jane could make all kinds of trouble for them and it would be the end of their careers once it was revealed that many of their drug arrests were bogus. Many innocent men were sitting in prisons across Texas because they had the misfortune to be stopped and arrested for trafficking by the cops who had planted drugs in their cars. Tiller knew they would be in prison themselves if they didn't get ahead of this mess immediately.

"What are we going to do?" Bullock asked, turning to his older partner. Tiller was lost in thought.

"We're not going to panic, that's the first step. Everything can be undone, right?" Tiller said quietly. "Patrick Jane won't keep his mouth shut, that's for sure, but we can erase any trace of his arrest, make him disappear from our records."

"But like you said, he'll talk!" Bullock erupted, terrified about the stupid mistake they had made.

"I know I know. But he can't talk if he can't be found" Tiller said with growing confidence. "We've got a lot to do to cover our asses, but first, we make that Agent disappear" Tiller said, a plan starting to form in his brain. "He can't talk if he's gone."

Bullock nodded his head slowly, hoping the older cop was right. Finally he began to smile. Yes...of course...it made sense. No one saw them bring Jane into the police department early in the morning, so no one knew he had been falsely arrested. They only had to erase every trace of the man from their files. First things first, they had to get rid of the silver grey car Mr. Jane was driving.

"Are you gonna call Frank to tow the car and hide it 'til all this blows over?" Bullock asked his partner.

Fred Tiller nodded absentmindedly. His young partner was finally thinking straight. He picked up his personal phone and made a call to his brother Frank, explaining he wanted a silver grey compact car abandoned on County Road 120 towed to Franks' backyard garage. Saying he wanted the car to be painted red and the GPS disabled, Frank could guess that his cop brother was up to something shady. When Tiller was done, he mentally checked one thing off his list of things to do to make all this shit go away.

"The car's all taken care of" Tiller affirmed to his nervous partner. Bullock had another concern on his mind.

"Are you thinking we need to call the old man?" Bullock asked Tiller.

Tiller looked off into the distance, his plan rapidly becoming a reality. "Yeah, I can do that. But first, we need to get to Agent Jane before the day shift gets too curious about him" he said. He hit the gas pedal and pulled back onto the road, tires squealing as they kicked up a cloud of dust.


	4. Moving Day

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to write a review! And to everyone who has favourited this and other stories I have published, I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them!

Southern Charm

Chapter 4

Moving Day

(6:50 am, The Farm, County Road 122 East, Stanley, Texas)

The front door squeaked open and a petite woman holding a tray of fresh coffee and biscuits stepped out onto a broad wooden porch. From across the yard, a large drooling bloodhound roused himself from sleep outside the door of a long wooden building, then stood up to stretch. Sniffing the air, he took off at a run across the lawn, climbing the four steps up to the porch where he was soon walking behind the woman carrying the aromatic biscuits. She ignored him as well as she could. She hated the dog but said nothing. He was the faithful companion of her boss, Judge Emmett P. Bachman, Circuit Judge for this part of Texas.

The Judge had spent his whole working life on the Bench, dispensing harsh justice to generation after generation of hapless Texans who had the misfortune to land in his courtroom. Now his brand of harsh justice was being replaced by more progressive Judges across Texas. That was not Emmett's style. He was tired of hearing every excuse under the sun for criminal behaviour. A crime was a crime and in his lofty opinion, if you stood in his courtroom, you must be guilty of something. He could count on one hand the number of times the defendant was actually found not guilty and he had to let him or her go free. This did not please him. Not one bit. So 9 times out of 10, if you were brought before Judge Emmett P. Bachman, you were as good as convicted. The only good thing about Bachman's advancing age was that he made fewer and fewer court appearances to mete out justice. Spare time spent on his rapidly expanding farm was now something he could enjoy.

He sat in a large, high backed wicker chair, dressed in a dapper white linen suit to help him deal with the late summer heat. A white panama hat sat at a rakish tilt on his head and he stroked his white beard thoughtfully as he enjoyed the peace and quiet of the early hours of the day. He considered himself to be the quintessential southern gentleman. He watched Irma, his house maid, as she brought his morning coffee over to his end of the porch. She was a good girl, always obedient, always anticipating his every need. She hardly ever needed to be corrected. If only everyone was so compliant, he sighed. An annoying ringing disturbed his musings. Who the hell would call him before 7 in the morning? Grumbling at the interruption of his quiet solitude, he answered his phone and was surprised at the caller's agitated state. Leaning back into his chair, he listened to the caller on the other end of the line plead his case while he held the cell phone against his florid face.

"How the hell did you make such a stupid mistake Billy?" he shouted, waving the waiting maid away after she deposited the tray on his wicker table. Bullet, the bloodhound, who had watched the arrival of the fragrant biscuits, gave up any hope of snaring one and collapsed in a fleshy heap at the old man's feet.

The person on the other end of the line was speaking rapidly, trying his best to excuse his behaviour and get the Judge to do his bidding.

"And just what do I get outta this here situation, besides the usual labour?" the Judge asked his supplicant. He didn't like the answer.

"Nah, not enough! I didn't ask you to bring me someone new. I decide when I need a new man! I make all the arrangements! Idiots like you are most likely going to screw up then where will I be?" the old man shouted. "Who knows how long this pasty city boy will last out here?"

There was a long pause on the other end of the line while the Judge considered what his caller wanted from him. "I need some financial incentives to take on this crapstorm!" Bachman shouted into the small phone.

Billy, on the other end of the line, had to come up with a good offer or else he was done. With the Judge, you didn't get very many second chances. While he and Fred had often brought men out to the farm in the past, it was usually at the Judge's bidding, but this time, they needed him to be willing to take on a new 'worker'.

"OK, OK, you're right, of course Judge. You need financial compensation for your inconvenience. How about, say…$5,000 and a cut of the next drug raid we make?" Billy Tiller suggested, fearful that it wouldn't be enough to sway the old man. He could steal the $5,000 from the police lockup, where a huge pile of money sat from a bust they had made two months earlier at a drug lab. No one would notice the money was missing before he had a chance to replace it in the future.

The Judge smiled broadly, savouring the panic in Billy's voice. God that man was an ass. It had just been a matter of time before he was beholden to the Judge, and Emmett wanted to squeeze Billy for all he could.

"Alright Billy, alright. That sounds reasonable to me. Make sure I get the money no later than tomorrow night or else the price goes up. When will I see you?"

Billy was soon off the phone and the Judge poured himself a steaming cup of coffee. Then he bit into a warm biscuit, the butter dripping onto the plate. Bullet lifted his head in hope of getting some small morsel of biscuit that might fall onto the porch, but was soon disappointed. As the biscuit disappeared into the old man's mouth, Bullet dropped his massive head again in dejection.

(7 am, Police Department, Stanley, Texas)

Bullock and Tiller pulled quickly into the parking lot, ignoring the tired guard finishing his shift. They jogged into the building before taking the elevator up to the main office. Several bright eyed officers were already in the office chatting with the young and very attractive receptionist before they left to begin their patrols. Bullock and Tiller avoided them and ran over to the holding cells to get their prisoner.

Jane had had a rotten night, uncomfortable on his hard slab of a bed, and worried about how this whole farcical arrest was going to play out. Finally, just before dawn, he had fallen into a fitful sleep.

"Wake up Princess!" Tiller yelled, banging the cell bars with his nightstick. The explosion of sound in the otherwise silent room jolted Jane awake with a shock.

"Wakey wakey!" grinned Bullock, leaning against the bars and leering at his rumpled and confused victim.

Jane sat up and ran his hands over his tired face. These jerks were going to pay for this, he'd make sure of it.

"I'm up…" he mumbled, shaking himself awake.

"Good, because we've got to get on the move" Bullock said, unlocking the cell door.

Jane stood up uncertainly and backed away as both cops entered his cell. "On the move? Where?"

"Don't worry about it Peaches, you'll find out soon enough. Turn around and put your hands behind your back" Bullock hissed.

Jane knew he couldn't fight back against both men in his exhausted state, so he turned around and put his hands behind his back, waiting for the uncomfortable cold steel cuffs to be clamped into place. When he had been secured, Tiller took his upper arm and guided him out of his cell towards the hallway. Jane expected to be led back into the office for a sit down interview where he could once again plead his innocence, but instead he was led away from the people in the office and steered towards the elevator. Bullock pushed the button for the ground floor and helped shove Jane into the lift for the short ride down to the parking lot. A few minutes later, Jane watched the small town of Stanley recede into the distance as he looked out of the police car's back window.

(7:30 am, County Road 122 East, Stanley, Texas)

Tiller drove over the speed limit on the dusty back country roads, glad that there was no other traffic out and about at this time of the morning. Everyone was either getting ready for work or going to school, or still sitting over a cup of coffee in their kitchen. He hit a 'T' intersection and slowed down, looking for anyone who might be watching. The only witness to his arrival was a feral cat and some heckling black crows sitting in the only tree in the field ahead.

He turned left and picked up speed again, eyeing his prisoner in the back seat. Jane had remained silent throughout the ride, not sure why he was out in the country instead of sitting in his cell waiting for a court date. He had decided to let this scenario play out. Clearly Tiller and Bullock's plans for him had changed for some reason. As if reading his mind, Bullock turned around and studied the quiet blond man in the back seat.

"Cat got your tongue?"

Jane turned to face the young officer and shook his head. "Just enjoying the ride. And I'm wondering why you decided to take me out of the jail. Clearly something's happened" he said benignly.

Tiller cast a quick glance at Bullock and shook his head, silently warning the younger man to stay calm and say nothing. Bullock was too pig headed to take the hint.

"Nothing happened. We just needed to move you to a more secure location. For your own good" he added lamely. Jane decided to needle him.

"For my own good? I doubt that Officer Bullock. I think you're scared, and so is your silent partner" Jane said calmly, turning to stare at the back of Tiller's head. "I was secure enough in that cell, but something has both of you spooked and so, I needed to be moved."

"That's bullshit. We do what we want!" Bullock smirked, his face flushed with rising anger

"You do what you want? Aren't you supposed to do what's legal?" Jane egged him on.

Bullock started to argue, but was cut off by his older and wiser partner.

"That's enough! From both of you! You keep your mouth shut Mr. Jane or I'll shut if for you!" Tiller barked, eyeing Jane in the rearview mirror.

Jane knew he was getting under the younger cop's skin, so he leaned forward, pushing his luck, and grinned into the mirror, relishing the sight of these two cops unravelling.

"Let me guess. You found out I DO work for the FBI didn't you? Huh? Word travels fast in a small town. You picked the wrong man to plant drugs on and now you don't know what to do about it. Have I got it just about right Officer Bullock?" he smiled. The officer reacted without thinking.

Bullock swung around in his seat and punched Jane in the nose, his fear cancelling out his self-control. Jane rocked back in his seat, his nose bleeding and his eyes filling with tears of pain, but he smiled anyway. He had pushed Bullock to reveal how unnerved both he and Tiller were in their predicament. Tiller slammed on the brakes and grabbed Bullock by the collar.

"For Chrissakes! Stop screwing around! Can't you see he's just messing with your mind? Be a man and ignore him!" he yelled in frustration.

Bullock snorted with false bravado and turned back to look out of his side window, his cocky smile falling off his face quickly. This FBI agent was unsettling him and few people did that. As Tiller resumed the drive, Bullock hunkered down in his seat and prayed the day would end better than it had begun. The only thought that consoled him was that soon they'd be rid of their troublesome prisoner once and for all. And when he was gone, it would be as if he had never crossed paths with them in the first place.

Jane leaned his head back to stop the flow of blood from his injured nose, but smirked anyway. Bullock was the weak link, just as he'd suspected. Wherever he was being taken, he hoped it would afford him a chance to get to a phone. Then he could set himself free.

(7:40am The Farm)

This was Judge Bachman's favourite time of the day, before the rest of the world was at work. It was the coolest time of the day until the winter arrived, so he sat here until the heat became too much for him. He looked out over his vast property, at the orchard holding hundreds of pecan trees, at the half-dug swimming pool at the side of the elegant manor house that seemed so out of place in the harsh Texas countryside. As he swept the horizon with his eyes he could see a vehicle approaching up the long driveway.

The day was beginning.

A small pickup truck car pulled up to the house and drove around to the back. A minute later a tall lanky man in a lightweight shirt and shorts walked around the side of the house towards the porch. A large western hat sat atop a mop of dark hair, and the man removed his sunglasses as he mounted the steps to greet his boss.

"Morning Judge" he said, stepping over the reclining bloodhound.

"Morning Robert. Ready for another day?"

"Yessir!"

"Well we got ourselves a newbie coming in. Unexpected but we can use him. Why don't you get the boys up and out working early so I can show the new guy the ropes? I expect him soon" the Judge added, indicating Robert better get going.

"Yes Your Honour" Robert agreed, tipping his hat and stepping over Bullet again.

"Come on boy!" he barked.

He stepped down onto the grass and walked over to the old wooden building, quickly followed by Bullet, who trotted along obediently. Robert soon got to work and the Judge resumed his coffee drinking. By the time his coffee pot was empty and the second biscuit was eaten, the Judge saw a police car pulling into his farm lane, kicking up clouds of dust and causing a group of men working on the side of the road to quickly step back out of the way of the large sedan. Bullet had returned to the porch to bask in the early morning sun, but when he heard the car approach, he leapt up, alert. Running to the edge of the porch, his droopy jowls dripped saliva onto the aged wooden planks in excitement. When the car thudded to a stop, Bullet jumped down onto the lawn and ran howling forward, baying loudly at the occupants of the dirty vehicle. Irma stood at the screened door and looked out across the lawn at the unexpected visitors. She hoped it wouldn't mean more work for her. The Judge stood up and followed Bullet to the edge of the porch then walked down the steps towards the car.

"Quiet boy! Be quiet Bullet! Good boy good boy...now you let these here boys outta the car and don't go biting anyone 'til I tell you to!" the Judge yelled at his excited dog. Bullet paced back and forth, keeping his saggy eyes on the car as the two front doors opened up. Stepping carefully onto the driveway, Fred Bullock and Billy Tiller stood and faced the Judge, stepping forward to shake his hand.

"Billy. You must be in some deep shit to bring me someone new. It's been a long time" the old man said.

"Yessir, I know. But I think you'll get a kick out of this here fella" Officer Billy Tiller told the Judge.

"He's mighty white Your Honour, but a few days in the sun should toughen him up!" laughed Fred Bullock nervously, extending his hand to shake Emmett's.

Emmett turned to examine Fred's proffered hand and ignored it.

"Did I say you could speak?" he barked at the younger officer.

Bullock felt like an idiot and quickly pulled his hand back and put it in his pocket.

"No Judge, you didn't. Sorry, sorry…"

Bachman ignored Bullock's apology and turned his attention to the car once again.

"Well, I don't have all day. Show me what you got for me" he said, waving his hand at the police car and nudging Billy Tiller.

"Yessir!" Tiller quickly ran back to the car and opened the locked rear door, then dragged Jane out into the early morning sun.

"Walk!" he hissed into Jane's ear. Jane nodded and stepped forward, keeping time with Tiller until they were both facing the Judge. Bachman stood with his feet wide apart, his hands buried deep in his wide pockets, scrutinizing the blond man facing him with a blank expression. Jane was still handcuffed, so his options were limited, but he didn't want to show this old man anything. Not fear, not curiosity, not indignation. As far as Jane was concerned, his job was to learn as much as he could as quickly as he could.

The Judge finally stepped up to Jane and felt his upper arms, squeezing them to check for muscles. He then walked around Jane and looked him over like he was buying a side of beef before walking back to face all three men. Jane felt like a slave at an auction.

"He'll do I guess. Slightly damaged I see" he said, noticing Jane's swollen and bleeding nose. "Not very big, but maybe he won't be completely useless. Time will tell. If he is useless, well then...there won't be any reason to keep him, will there boys?" the Judge muttered before turning his attention to Billy Tiller.

"Like I said, I want that money by tomorrow night at the latest or else it doubles. Understand?"

"Yes Your Honour, no problem at all. You'll see us tomorrow night."

Jane considered the fact that he might have just been sold to the Judge.

"Well alright then!" the Judge smiled, rubbing his large hands together. "Now why don't you boys get on home? Mr. Jane and I will take some time to get to know one another and settle in. Ain't that right Mr. Jane?" the Judge said, finally addressing the silent man.

"I'd like that" Jane said simply. Bullet growled at the slim blond man standing so still before him.

Tiller stepped over to Jane and uncuffed him, putting the handcuffs back on his belt. Then he and the still silent Bullock got back into their cruiser and pulled out as fast as they could manage. Old man Bachman gave them the creeps.


	5. Turning Back the Clock

Hello to all my new readers. Thank you for joining The Mentalist Fandom!

Southern Charm

Chapter 5

Turning Back the Clock

(8:00 am, The Farm)

Jane rubbed his aching wrists and watched the police car disappear down the road, not sure if his life just got better, or worse. It was a very long walk back into town, and he didn't know the way. He took a tissue out of his pocket and wiped the blood off his face. He moved slowly, so as not to startle the dog.

"Mr. Jane? Walk with me" the Judge said, indicating that Jane had no choice in the matter. The Judge started to walk towards the side of his large house and Jane joined him. Bullet sighed with regret that no one had ordered him to attack the new human, so he went back to sleeping on the front porch. When Jane and the Judge reached the pit where a small group of labourers were digging a large hole for a future swimming pool, the Judge turned to Jane and smiled.

"This is the 'A' team, as I like to call them. These 4 are my best boys. Strong and obedient. They've been here a good long time and know the rules. They also know what happens if they break those rules."

"And what are the rules?"Jane asked.

The Judge turned to face Jane and put his pudgy finger in his face. "First rule is you don't interrupt me when I'm talking. Remember that and you and I will get along quite well."

Jane nodded and kept quiet. Who were these men and why had they worked for the Judge 'a good long time'? He watched the men struggle to dig shovelful after shovelful of hard packed dirt up and out of the pit. It made no sense to work like that. If the Judge brought in a backhoe and a truck, the pool could have been completely excavated in less than one day. And why did the Judge call them his 'best boys'?

"Now you might have noticed something a bit peculiar about my boys down in the pit. They are my most trusted workers, but I'm not stupid. I don't trust them enough to leave them to their own devices. See?" Judge Bachman said, pointing to the men below them.

Jane looked beyond their sweating faces and bent backs, and studied their movements closely. Then he realized they were all chained together at the ankles. The men were on a chain gang, a practice which had been outlawed many years ago in Texas. Turning in alarm, he looked behind him at the men out on the road far across the front yard. They were working in a long line, bending and lifting the weeds and rocks almost in unison. Now he could see why. They too were joined together on a long line of chain, each man locked to it at his ankle.

The Judge loved doing this to new arrivals, seeing their hope slip away as the realization of their new life hit them. He watched Mr. Jane struggle to keep his mouth shut and not comment on the illegal use of jailhouse chain gang labour.

"You have questions no doubt Mr. Jane, but the bottom line is this: here, you have no rights. Quite simply, you belong to me. Here you are no longer in control of anything except your mouth, which you need to keep shut. Here, you will be on a chain gang from the moment you step outside to work until you go back to your bunk for the night. Nod once to acknowledge that you understand" the Judge ordered Jane.

Jane looked at the Judge and was disgusted by the power the old man had over all of these prisoners. Whatever they had done to end up here at the Farm, they didn't deserve to spend all of their days chained together like a giant centipede. How many of them were innocent men who had been railroaded by Tiller and Bullock, like he had been last night? How many wives and mothers were wondering where their men were?

A large hand lashed out and swatted Jane up the side of his head. He had taken too long to respond and the Judge had lost patience, if he ever had any to begin with.

"Pay attention boy! You understand everything I've said to you or are you simple?" he hissed, wiping his perspiring face with a large white handkerchief.

Jane quickly nodded and waited to see what would happen next.

"Good...good. So you _can_ understand the spoken word. That's a start alright. Now my dilemma is this. I understand you were arrested for drug trafficking, driving while drunk, and impersonating a Federal law enforcement officer. That's mighty ballsy of you, I gotta say" the Judge smirked.

"It's a lie and I was railroaded, as you already know" Jane said evenly, risking the old man's wrath for speaking again.

Bachman lunged for Jane and grabbed him by the collar.

"What's the matter with you boy? Didn't I just make it clear that you were not to speak? Do you want me to call Bullet over here to chew up your ankles for a spell while I watch? Huh?" the old man seethed, nose to nose with his newest guest.

Jane shook his head, no, his ear ringing from the blow. Clearly Judge Bachman had an issue with people speaking their minds. Or just speaking, period. At the sound of raised voices, Bullet ran over to the men and stepped between them, growling at Jane, saliva dripping off his hanging jowls.

"I have warned you Mr. Jane. Do not let my good nature fool you into thinking I will not set my dog on you if you dare to break my rules. That was your last warning."

The Judge began to walk again, so a very shaken Jane followed, keeping a wary eye on the slavering Bullet. The old man kept talking as if everything was just fine.

"As I was saying, you got caught doing some very nasty things. I do not tolerate drunkenness nor drug addiction. Here's why. My daughter, my only precious daughter, was killed by a driver high on cocaine and drunk as a skunk. I have a special place in my dark soul for her killer and anyone else who abuses alcohol and sells drugs."

Jane swallowed hard, knowing this man had already decided he was one of the worst kinds of criminals. Surely he knew the charges against him were false? Any protestations of his innocence would go unbelieved. Was the Judge in on the scheme that Tiller and Bullock were using to increase their arrest numbers? Unless he could escape and make a call to Cho or Lisbon, his life was going to get very bad very soon.

"My only joy in life now is that I faced my daughter's killer in court and I sent him to the electric chair. I even went to watch him fry. It was very soothing" the Judge continued. He grimaced at the memory of his long dead child, not even looking at Jane now. Jane quickly gazed around to see if it was remotely possible to run off to safety. But there was Bullet, head down and licking his lips in anticipation of chasing down this new human. He couldn't outrun a bloodhound. No one could.

"Anyway, as I was saying, I have a dilemma. I could just shoot you right now, let Bullet chew on your carcass for a good long while, then have those boys over there bury you in the bottom of the pool they're digging. It's nothing personal. I just hate drug traffickers and drunks. Or, I could chain you to the line and work you to death. Either way, you end up dying. It's just a matter of when. Which would you prefer young man?"

The Judge was staring at Jane as if he required an answer. What to do? Jane wasn't supposed to speak. He got an idea. Putting his finger up as if preparing to do charades, Jane acted out being tied to the chain gang and walking slowly to work, then pretended to pull weeds and put them into the wheelbarrow. Straightening up, he waited to see the old man's reaction. Judge Bachman watched in stunned attention, then burst out in fits of laughter. No one had ever figured out how to answer that question without speaking and breaking a rule.

When he had composed himself, the Judge wiped his face off again with his handkerchief and whispered in Jane's ear.

"Young man, you just saved your sorry life for one more day. Robert!" he yelled, looking towards the road. The man in shorts ran across the broad lawn and jogged over to the Judge.

"Yes Your Honour?"

"Robert, this is Patrick Jane. Show him the bunk house, explain the rules then put him to work on the road crew. And only half rations for him tonight. He needs to learn to follow all the rules all of the time."

"Yessir!" Robert shouted, then turned and grabbed Jane by the collar and half walked, half dragged him over to a long wooden structure. The Judge returned to his porch and called Bullet to follow him. He never looked back at his newest inmate. Once at the large shack, Robert led Jane inside and found an empty bunk for him at the end of a long row of wooden beds.

"This is where you sleep. Change into that uniform and make it fast. You've got work to do." He didn't explain any rules, and Jane didn't dare open his mouth to ask what they were. This wasn't going to end well. When Jane had discarded his lightweight cotton pants and shirt, he pulled on the much heavier and smellier cotton jeans and a very old, unwashed thick cotton shirt. Within minutes he was sweating profusely and he wasn't even out in the sun yet.

"Outside!" Robert barked. Jane left the small building and was quick marched over to the road crew, who had stopped working to see their newest addition. Robert bent to attach the the ankle ring and chain to Jane's right ankle, then handed him a dull trowel.

"Dig!" he barked, pointing at the earth. Immediately all of the other men turned back to their work, digging up weeds and bracken, tossing them into a nearby wheelbarrow. Jane hesitated, finding it impossible to believe he was now a slave working on a chain gang. Seeing him standing still while the other inmates worked, Robert came back and shoved his rifle between Jane's shoulder blades. Without a word, Jane bent to the task before him. Robert laughed and went back to sitting in the shade under his little canopy. Until something changed and he could figure out how to escape, Jane decided he had best just do what he had to do to survive this unbelievable day. He grapsed a tough old dry weed and pulled, only to discover it was almost impossible to dislodge it from the hard packed soil. This was going to be a horrible job. As the line moved forward incrementally it became clear that Jane had to keep up with the speed of his fellow inmates. They were used to this backbreaking work and would not tolerate a newbie slowing them down. He had not had a drink or any food since suppertime the day before. Now, under the blazing sun, he began to feel the effects of an empty stomach and thirst. The sun was unrelenting and he could feel his tender pink scalp slowing burning. God only knew what would happen if he fainted.

(County Road 120, Stanley, Texas)

A small tow truck rumbled down the road and stopped in front of a silver grey Honda. Frank Tiller got out and walked around the car, looking for anything amiss. The car was an older model vehicle but in great shape. He had no idea what his brother Billy was up to, but perhaps there would be some good money for Frank in this job. He could spray paint the Honda a new colour like Billy wanted, and change the plates within 48 hours if all went well. After that, who knows...maybe he could sell it to someone over the border in Mexico. But first, he had to disable the GPS before the rightful owner came looking for his car. He took out his tools and began to disengage the wiring that fed data from the car's GPS to the overhead satellite, then he ripped the unit out of the Honda, throwing it onto the gravel shoulder of the road. He took a ball peen hammer out of his truck and pulverised the gizmo. Five minutes later, the GPS was a small pile of junk. Just like Billy wanted.


	6. Where's Jane?

Finally, finally, Cho and Lisbon are back in the story. Since this all began at 2 in the morning, they slept through most of the drama so far, but now they are waking up to a new reality.

Southern Charm

Chapter 6

Where's Jane?

(Stanley Police Department)

After leaving The Farm, Bullock and Tiller came back to the office even though they were supposed to be off duty. As they made their way through the office a few cops teased them for not wanting to go home to their wives, but they made excuses for still being in uniform and quickly got changed into their street clothes.

"We have to clear that asshole's booking out of the computer system Billy" Bullock said to his partner. "His photo is in there, his charge sheet, his belongings in the drawer…" he rattled off, nervous and eager to wipe clean any hint of the arrest they made last night.

"How the hell are we going to do that with an office full of people Fred?" Tiller asked sensibly. "We can't just waltz up to the booking Sargeant and ask him to delete a file!"

Tiller looked out into the busy office and took a deep breath. Someone needed to keep a cool head if they were going to get out of this mess unscathed.

"Look, we've got time OK? No one saw us bring that asshole in this morning and no one is gonna know unless you tell them, so keep your big mouth shut Fred. We act like it's a normal day. We go home, relax, get some sleep. Kiss the kids and do the dishes, normal, OK? Then tonight, we wait until the office is empty and we come back in here and start wiping files. All evidence of that agent will be gone in 15 minutes if we stay calm. Can you do that Bullock?" Tiller asked his frightened partner. The spectre of the FBI had scared the shit out of the younger man and that made him a liability.

"Yeah...yeah...normal. I can do that" Bullock agreed, pacing in place.

"Good. So go home now and get some sleep. Like you do every morning. Nothing different OK?"

"OK. See you tonight Tiller."

"Yeah, see you later" the older cop said, worried all the same about his clearly upset partner.

They walked out together and then went their separate ways, hopeful that by this time tomorrow, Patrick Jane would just be a bad memory.

(8:30 am, Mexicali Motel, Stanley, Texas)

Lisbon had been ready to get her day started since 7:30 am, but she wanted to let Cho and Jane sleep in for a little while. Now her patience had worn thin and she wanted breakfast and coffee, not necessarily in that order. She picked up her phone and called Cho, hoping he was finally awake.

"Lisbon, good morning!"

"Morning Cho. Are you and Jane ready for breakfast? I'd kill for some coffee!"

"Well I'm up and dressed, but let me go and see if Jane's ready to roll. Give me a minute and we'll call you back."

"Thanks Cho."

Lisbon ran a brush through her hair one final time and added it to her 'go' bag, then sat by the door waiting to hear from her friends.

Cho walked over to Jane's door three suites away from his own and knocked loudly. There were no sounds of movement inside. Knocking again, Cho called out for his friend.

"Jane, wake up. Lisbon's getting restless. We need to get some caffeine into her fast" he warned before banging on the door again. Still nothing.

Cho looked into the window to see if he could see around the thin curtains obscuring his view of Jane's motel room. Spying a gap in the curtain, he gazed inside the room and saw that the bed was made up and there was no sign of Jane. His bags were still on the floor and a jacket was thrown across the bedspread. Where could he go?

Picking up his cell phone he called Lisbon again. She picked up on the first ring.

"Lisbon, has Jane called you this morning?"

"No. Why?"

"He isn't in his room but his bags are still in there. "

"I wonder what he's up to so early?" Lisbon asked her friend. Where else could Jane be? "Can you check and see if he's over at his car?" A tiny ripple of apprehension registered in Teresa's brain. Jane did that to her,

"OK, hang on...let me walk over there…" Cho said as he walked towards two silver grey cars, one of which he assumed could be the rental car Jane had used. The first clearly was a family car, with candy wrappers and toys scattered across the back seat. Not Jane's rental. The other car a few spaces away was also not a rental. It was dusty inside, and piled with laundry bags and school books. Most likely belonged to a student on the move.

"I can't find his car Lisbon. It's not here."

"But...it has to be…" Lisbon mumbled, not sure what to think. They were too far outside of town for Jane to have wandered off in search of a good cup of tea, and his car had to be there. She gazed out of her window in a vain attempt to see if Jane was leaning against his car, grinning at her from her own parking lot. But of course he wasn't there. The ripple of concern was becoming a wave of annoyance.

"Lisbon?"

"Um..yeah Cho?"

"When did you see him last?"

"Early this morning, about 1:30ish, when he dropped me off here at the motel. We agreed to meet up for breakfast today before we started the drive to Austin. Cho, he had no other plans. He wanted to go home as much as we do" she added with concern in her tone.

"Well he can't have gone far. I'll give him a call and find out what he's up to and let you know where he is."

"Thanks Cho. And you can tell Jane I'm not impressed!" Lisbon added before she rang off.

Cho smirked as he punched in Jane's number on his phone. Nothing. He tried again, and again the call couldn't be put through. The line was dead. Staring at his phone as if it would magically explain why Jane was gone, Cho sighed in frustration. Jane's battery could just be dead. Or his phone could be lost and dead. Or...he didn't know what to think. He re-dialed Lisbon to let her know Jane couldn't be reached. She didn't take the news well.

"What is he up to? This isn't funny Cho!" she barked.

"Let's not jump to any conclusions. I'm sure there's a very simple reason why we can't reach him" Cho said, trying to keep Lisbon calm. "There's not much to do here in Stanley. How about I call the rental place and see if he turned in his car early?" Cho suggested. "Then I'll come over and pick you up. We'll find him."

"Thanks Cho. This better not be one of his stupid pranks" Lisbon said harshly, but she didn't want to believe it.

Cho rang off and took the rental car agreement out of his bag and found the telephone number. It was a short conversation. They hadn't heard from Mr. Jane and no, he had not returned his Honda just yet. With nothing else to go on, Cho went to the motel office and spoke to the receptionist on duty.

"Did a Mr. Jane check out of his room early today?" he asked, showing his FBI ID. "He's not in any trouble, we just can't locate him before we all have to go back to Austin. Did you see him today?"

The young woman stared at the FBI logo and photo of Cho and was impressed by the muscular man in front of her.

"Ma'am?" Cho prodded her.

"Oh, sorry! Um, no. I didn't speak to any of our guests this morning, other than old Mrs. Benton and her creepy nephew. But no, no one by the name of Mr. Jane came in or signed out. He's still a registered guest. See?" She swung her registration book around for Cho to see. Jane had not signed out.

"Ok, thank you Ma'am. If he does come in, please have him call Agent Cho. He's got my number."

"I will, for sure!" the young woman promised. Cho could gain nothing else from her so he left and started the drive over to Lisbon's motel.

He was on the long country road leading to town when he glanced over to the spot where he had seen a compact car on the side of the road at around 2am that morning. The car was gone now. Mentally taking note, he drove on. Cho decided to take a detour to the car rental office.

"Can I help you?" a prematurely grey man in his early 40's asked as Cho stepped up to the counter, his FBI ID held up in the man's face.

"Agent Kimball Cho. I called you a short time ago about the return of Mr. Jane's rental car. Can you look up the license plate number for me?"

The car rental employee was disconcerted by the sudden appearance of a real live agent. He had heard rumours that there were FBI agents in town, but he had dismissed that story as bullshit. Now here he was talking to a very intense agent…

"Sir? The license plate?" Cho said again, interrupting the man's musings.

The man nodded, and Cho gave him all of Jane's personal information.

"I heard a story this morning about FBI agents busting into Cujo's bar last night and arresting two idiots, but I didn't believe it!" the man said, taking a moment to glance up at Cho. "Is it true?"

Cho's jaw clenched, but since his murderers were in custody and word of the presence of FBI agents would soon be all over town, he nodded slightly.

"It's true. We were working with the police from the next county over. Easier to keep the sting operation quiet. It worked. About the license plate on Mr. Jane's rental car?" he reminded the curious man.

"Oh yeah, right! Here we are! Rented four days ago to a Mr. Patrick Jane, of Austin Texas" he said with a smile, happy he had found what Cho wanted. He then gave Cho a printout of the type of car Jane had been driving and the plate number. Then his face clouded over as a new thought entered his mind.

"If I may ask, why are you asking about the car? Did Mr. Jane steal our car? Where is the car now?" he asked with concern.

Cho put his ID back in his pocket and took out his phone, pausing to speak to the upset man.

"Mr. Jane didn't steal your car. We'll leave it at that."

"But...but...why didn't Mr. Jane just return the car to us?" the man mumbled, confused.

"That's what we want to know" Cho said. He looked at the information about the compact car Jane had rented, then had an idea. "Does this car have a GPS Navigation system built into it?"

The man checked his computer. "Well, that is one of our older models, unfortunately. It does have a basic, old school GPS unit but not one of the newer types."

"Can you track the car's location from that GPS?" Cho asked, hoping at last to find the car.

"We might be able to. Can you give me a bit of time and I'll get our mechanic to work on that?" the man suggested, eager to find out where his car had gone.

"Good. We need that information as soon as possible. Here's my card. Call me when you know where the car has gone. Thank you for your help" Cho said as he strode back outside to call Lisbon. He was genuinely worried about Jane now.

(Rosie's Diner)

Cho and Lisbon sat in a booth trying to choke down some breakfast, but it was proving to be impossible when the only thing they could focus on was their missing friend. Jane was a prankster, always up for a good gag, but this felt different. The fact that his rental car was missing, his phone didn't work, and he had made no effort to contact them, was not his usual modus operandi. No, he was in trouble. Sipping her coffee, Lisbon watched the townsfolk of Stanley go about their day, blissfully unaware of the concern she felt at the moment.

(8 am, Frank Tiller Residence)

Billy Tiller's brother Frank had left home early to tow the rental Honda back to his property before too many folks were up and about. As the day began for everyone in Stanley, Frank's wife had already left the house to take the kids to school, so Frank was free to pull the small silver grey car he was towing into his backyard garage. He kept the shadier aspects of his business a secret from his sweet wife. What she didn't know wouldn't hurt her he reasoned. Their marriage had been on shaky ground when he ran afoul of the law years ago, but now, everything was good.

The ride over County Road 120 had been rough, with the dangling car bouncing hard on the towing chain when it hit every pothole and rut in the road. Before the tow truck had arrived at Frank's garage, Jane's small cell phone had been shaken loose from its perch on the visor. It flew off and skidded far under the driver's seat, nestled in the darkness against bits of dust and crumbs. Frank lowered the winch and soon the car was hidden in his garage at the far edge of his large property, away from prying eyes.

(Stanley, Texas)

Somehow Cho and Lisbon had managed to eat a small breakfast, and now needed to get moving on finding Jane. Cho sat behind his steering wheel and flipped open his phone. Lisbon knew what he was going to do next.

"There can't be too many places in town someone can tow a car. We should be able to locate it pretty quickly" she said, thinking out loud.

Cho nodded and dialed the first number on his Google search. Rawling's Towing.

He quickly discovered that they had not picked up a silver grey Honda in the last 24 hours. They suggested he call Billy Horton's garage. Sometimes they were called to pick up cars and did it cheaper than Rawling's charged for the same service, but without any guarantees on the safe arrival of the vehicle.

Cho dialed the number and waited for someone to pick up. After a short conversation, he rang off and sighed. They hadn't towed a silver grey Honda either.

"Who's next on the list?" Lisbon asked.

"No one. That's it for towing companies in Stanley."

Lisbon scowled. "We can't get Jane on his phone, but why can't we track the rental car by its GPS?" she asked Cho.

"I asked the rental agency to do just that and to call me when they got a signal. As soon as that comes in we'll find the car, search it and find Jane."

"If only it goes that smoothly" Lisbon sighed.

"We should know any minute now" Cho said encouragingly. Lisbon hoped so. In the meantime, she wanted to keep digging for answers. For that, she would need a car of her own. A half hour later she had rented a sleek black sedan, much nicer than the old Honda that Jane had been stuck with. She came out to the parking lot to confer with Cho again.

"It's time to visit the police station. Maybe they found the car and had it towed to their impound yard. If so, they should have a story to tell" Lisbon said, hoping it would be a quick solution to the mystery. "Did you call the local hospital Cho? Maybe Jane got stopped and mugged?"

"Already called. No one fitting his description was brought in last night or this morning. Sorry Lisbon."

She nodded, glad at least that Jane wasn't lying in a hospital bed, but disappointed that now they were no further ahead in finding him.

"I'd better call Abbott and tell him we'll be delayed getting back to Austin today" Lisbon mumbled, getting into her car. Before she turned the key, she called Abbott, but also Jason Wylie in Austin. If anyone could find Jane through cell phone technology, he could. Feeling she had done all she could for now, Lisbon followed Cho and headed towards the Stanley Police Department, hoping that the answers they needed would be supplied there.


	7. Searching For Facts

There is almost nothing for Cho and Lisbon to go on in their search for Jane. They need a break!

Southern Charm

Chapter 7

Searching for Facts

(Stanley Police Department)

Cho and Lisbon drove down the main street of Stanley, Texas and found the local police department, a dull, cinder block building built for purpose, not esthetics. Pulling into parking spots in front of the tall narrow building, he and Lisbon stepped out onto the sidewalk and gazed up and down the tidy main street. It was a picture postcard, old Texas town. There were still many shops that had retained their original wooden facades, with large curved glass windows displaying a variety products for sale. The typical western gabled rooflines looked like something out of an old wild west movie. Nestled between these old buildings sat newer structures, heralding decades of rapidly evolving good and tacky architectural design. One small section of the main street even had a facsimile of the original wooden sidewalk running along the front of an appliance store and a nail salon. It was a mixture of the 1890's and the 1990's all within a few blocks.

The quaint appearance of the town was deceiving though, and neither one of the FBI agents was going to be fooled into believing all was well with the town. Cho opened the door for Lisbon and they soon faced the young receptionist, Sue.

"May I help you?" she asked.

Lisbon and Cho flashed their badges and asked for the Sheriff. The young woman rang through to her boss and asked them to wait for a moment. Two minutes later Sheriff Ruben Jolliet appeared in the small waiting room.

"Morning folks! Sheriff Ruben Jolliet. How can I help you today?"

Cho showed his FBI badge, as did Teresa, then shook the man's outstretched hand.

"Well well...this is an unusual pleasure Agents! Please, come in. Sue? Can you bring in some coffee for us?" the Sheriff asked his receptionist, then showed Cho and Lisbon the way to his office.

Sheriff Ruben Jolliet was a rotund cop who thoroughly enjoyed his job. He was a simple man, who lived by the rules the police department established and assumed all of his other Officers played by the rules as well. On that score he was sadly deluded. He was generally well liked by his subordinates and ran what appeared to be a happy, tight police station. Now he was faced with two serious FBI Agents who wanted something from him. This was an unusual day indeed.

"Please, sit down and tell me what I can do for you" the Sheriff asked his visitors. Cho began to speak but Sue entered, carrying a large tray laden with cups, a coffee pot, cream and sugar, then she quickly left the room.

"Coffee?" Jolliet asked.

"Yes please" Lisbon said, while Cho declined the offer of a drink. He wanted to get down to business. The Sheriff poured Lisbon and himself a fresh cup of coffee then sat down behind his desk, ready to talk.

"So, what brings two FBI Agents to my humble office today?" he said brightly.

"One of our Agents is missing and we wanted to know if you know anything about it" Cho said.

For some reason the Sheriff found this amusing and laughed, before Cho's stern face shut him up.

"Just how exactly is that funny?" Lisbon asked, leaning forward and glaring at the man.

"Oh, ah, well, I mean, you're the FBI! And you can't find your own man? It just struck me as...funny" the Sheriff said lamely, feeling stupid now. "Sorry. Ok, tell me what you know and maybe I can help" he suggested.

Cho shoved a photo of Patrick Jane across the table and began to explain what little they knew about his last moments before he disappeared.

"He was going to his motel, but he never got there. His rental car is missing. His phone is dead and missing. We've called around and nobody towed a vehicle matching his rental car last night. We were wondering if any of your Officers saw anything out of the ordinary last night on their rounds, or if you had a car towed to your Police impound yard" he explained.

"We were wondering if any of your Officers saw anything unusual on County Road 120 at around 2am specifically" Lisbon added. "We're thinking something happened after 1:30 am when Mr. Jane left me at my motel. Did anyone call in a report of suspicious activity? Anything?"

Sheriff Jolliet leaned back and steepled his fingers, thinking. "Well, that would have been during the shift two of my best men were working. They were out in the field last night, both in town and anywhere else they chose to patrol. They've both gone home to sleep and won't be back until tonight. The cells are empty, so I know they didn't bring in anyone. I can ask my day staff to keep their eyes open for your man on their patrols." Sheriff Jolliet felt no news meant nothing happened.

"Can we speak to your Booking Officer?" Lisbon asked.

"Unfortunately, she's off on Maternity leave. Whenever one of our Officers brings someone in at night they will process the suspect then come to me with that information. Since my Officers left without speaking to me, that means no one was brought in during their shift" Jolliet said with confidence. "I have full faith in my Officers" Jolliet added, daring Lisbon to say otherwise. She bit her tongue. No use pissing off the only Senior Police Officer in the town.

"And the car? Could it be in your impound yard?" Cho asked again.

"I can find out in a jiffy" Jolliet said, picking up the phone and calling downstairs. From his expression, Cho and Lisbon knew there was no rental car waiting in the yard.

"Nope. Sorry. Nothing has been brought in for days" the Sheriff told them.

"So there is no one who we can talk to right now who would know something about suspicious activity in and around town during the night? Lisbon asked.

"No, I'm sorry. We just had the two Officers patrolling last night, and as I said, if anything had happened, they would have come to me and reported it before they went home. But since I didn't see them this morning, it was just an ordinary, quiet night."

"Can you give me the names of the Officers who worked last night, their contact information?" Cho asked.

"Well like I said, those Officers will be at home sleeping right now" Sheriff Jolliet reminded the FBI agents, getting a bit aggravated at their persistence.

"And like I said, one of our people is missing. Worth waking someone up, don't you think?" Cho said, his face as stern as possible.

Jolliet had to cave in to Cho's demand, how could he not? While he hated to rouse his tired Officers, he also couldn't deny a request from the FBI. He quickly found the contact information for Bullock and Tiller and handed the information over to Lisbon.

"I'm sure your agent is fine Agent Cho. Probably went out and partied a bit too hard and is sleeping it off somewhere."

"You're wrong. We'll be back" Cho said flatly before standing and walking out, followed by Lisbon.

"What do you think?" Lisbon asked her friend as they walked to their rental cars.

"I think Jolliet believes we're chasing our tails. He doesn't know anything, but his two Officers were on patrol last night. We need to talk to them ASAP."

"Do you trust Sheriff Jolliet?" Teresa asked her partner.

Cho wrinkled his brow in thought. It was too soon in the investigation to assume everyone was dirty or lying to them. He had to give the man the benefit of the doubt until evidence proved otherwise.

"I think he has a lot of faith in his Officers. I believe he believes nothing happened. We need to find out if that's the case" Cho said succinctly.

As Lisbon nodded in agreement, Cho's cell phone rang. Judging from the expression on his face and his tone of voice, the news wasn't entirely good.

"Are you sure? OK. I'm heading over there now. When we find it we will be impounding the car for a thorough inspection. Thanks for calling back."

"Did Jane's car turn up?" Lisbon asked, sure they were another step closer to finding him.

"The rental agency tracked the Honda's GPS signal and according to them, it's still on County Road 120. Then the signal stopped" Cho said with confusion. "I passed that location this morning and I didn't see a car. And if there is no car, why did the GPS suddenly stop sending data from that road? We need to go back and take a look around."

Cho pulled out of his parking spot followed closely by Lisbon. Something strange was happening.

(County Road 120)

Lisbon craned her neck looking on both sides of the road as they drove down County Road 120, hoping something would catch her eye. They had broken a couple of speed limits to get to the Honda and inspect it, but now that they were on the dusty country road, they couldn't see any cars parked on the shoulder. Soon Cho slowled to a crawl, then made a U-turn over to a grassy strip on the opposite side of the road and ran across the asphalt, followed closely by Lisbon. Cho walked up and down the gravel shoulder, sure he was in the spot where he saw the silver grey Honda in the wee small hours of the morning. Sighing deeply, he had his hands on his hips in frustration. Where was the damned car?

Lisbon walked a bit farther ahead and suddenly stopped. "Cho! I've got something!"

Bending down, she took out her phone and snapped a few pictures of the remains of the old GPS unit, where it had been kicked to the grassy verge running along the gravel shoulder. Cho jogged over and took out an evidence baggie, then snapped many photos to show exactly where the broken GPS had been found before he scooped it up. A trail of tiny broken bits and pieces showed where the GPS had originally been smashed.

There were multiple tire tracks in the loose sandy gravel, and it would take a specialist to make sense of them. The entire area was now a crime scene. Lisbon got out her phone and called Abbott again, telling him what they had found and demanding a forensic unit to come immediately to close off the area and conduct a thorough investigation.

Cho studied the area and realized that someone had come back for the car knowing full well that the GPS was going to tell the FBI too much. Jane was no longer missing, he was in danger.


	8. Tiller and Bullock vs The FBI

It's going to be a long day for Jane as a slave. Cho and Lisbon need a break, soon!

Southern Charm

Chapter 8

Tiller and Bullock vs The FBI

(The Farm)

Jane cleared rubble away from where he stood, before the line moved forward and he bent to begin dragging weeds and rocks out of the hard packed ground again. Every once in a while he glanced to his right, and studied Robert as he sat under the canvas canopy that shielded him from the sun. His rifle never left his hand and he alternated between glaring at the men he was supposed to guard, and playing with his cell phone. Jane was quite certain that Judge Bachman would not approve of his lackey playing games on his phone instead of watching his prisoners. Tucking that bit of information away in his memory palace, he turned to his left to study the manor house set amongst the vast acreage of the Judge's estate.

Jane noted how frequently the maid appeared at the door, staring at the men. Sometimes she made a point of coming outside, making a show of sweeping away the dust on the wooden porch, but Jane felt sure she wasn't really working. She was staring at the chain gang. Why? As soon as the Judge appeared, she would scurry away again, swallowed up by the large house. Sweat ran into Jane's eyes, and he struggled to keep up with the rythmn set by the men ahead of him. Failure to produce the desired amount of work would no doubt lead to dire consequences for him, so Jane forced himself to keep pace with the large young man in front of him. When he bent to pull weeds, so did Jane. When the man bent to move rocks, so did Jane. When the man stood up straight to wipe his face on his ragged sleeve, so did Jane. It was the only way he could make sure he didn't slow the line down, but it was getting more and more difficult to maintain this pace.

Bullet lay asleep on the sunny porch, his huge jowls spread out like a fan on the warm wooden decking. Every once in a while he would raise his massive head and stare at the men in the chain gang, then he'd collapse again in boredom. Whenever Irma came outside, he sprang up, hopeful that she had a biscuit or a dog cookie in her hand for him, but it never happened. With luck, maybe one of those soft juicy humans chained on the line would screw up and he'd be allowed to sink his teeth into a fat backside, or a meaty leg. Bullet lived in bored anticipation of that eventuality.

At the head of the chain gang, a man stumbled and fell, causing the whole line of men to stop working as they watched him sprawled out on the hard ground. Robert sprang up from his shady seat under the canopy and strode over to the man, kicking him to get back up and get back to work. When the man didn't get up soon enough, Robert's rifle glanced off his back, then he turned to scream at the other men to keep working. Everyone immediately bent to their task, leaving the lead man to get to his feet unaided despite his injured back. If they didn't want to be attacked themselves, the prisoners on the line knew they had to carry on no matter what Robert did.

Jane gritted his teeth and resumed his efforts to dislodge a large stone sunk into the dry earth, his hands slowly being destroyed by the brutal work. His only hope was that by now Cho and Lisbon had found his car and were examining the video his cell phone had recorded. From there it would be a quick discovery of Tiller and Bullock's false arrest and he'd see Police cruisers screaming down Judge Bachman's farm lane, sirens blaring and lights flashing. It would be Cho and Lisbon to the rescue. That idea was enough at the moment for Jane to keep his spirits up.

(Stanley, Texas, 11 am)

Cho and Lisbon didn't dare leave the spot on the side of the road where they had found the destroyed GPS device until the FBI showed up. They didn't trust anyone in the Stanley Police Force to cordon off the area. If they were dealing with local crooks, or crooked cops, they had to keep a close tab on whatever evidence they found. For now. So, they waited. Finally a large van pulled up to the side of the road and several FBI techs stepped out. After conferring with Cho and Lisbon, they got to work, disguised as a road crew. There was nothing more Cho and Lisbon could do at the scene, so they left to continue with their plans to speak to Officers Tiller and Bullock.

Even though Jane had only been discovered missing a couple of hours earlier, for Lisbon it felt like an eternity. At times like this she realized how much he meant to her. She had long ago taken his presence in her life as a given, but once he was gone, his absence was a reminder of those dark days when he ran away and took refuge on an island. Back then his absence was voluntary, even necessary to live a free life, but this incident was a whole new level of worry. Someone had engineered Jane's disappearance for some mysterious reason and she wanted him back, safe, by her side.

All of these gloomy thoughts swirled through her mind as she slowly drove through a neighbourhood in her newly rented car, searching for Billy Tiller's house. Cho was in his own rental car, on his way to speak to Fred Bullock. They had decided to split up and each confront the Officers separately. There was no way they wanted one cop to warn the other that he was about to get a visit from the FBI.

Lisbon slowed down and parked outside of a tidy 1970's wooden bungalow. A porch swing laden with sun faded pillows moved slightly in the hot breeze. At the sound of the doorbell, a loud barking greeted Lisbon before the door was opened and a sweet faced middle aged woman smiled up at her. Next to her a large dog watched Lisbon suspiciously.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Mrs. Tiller?"

"Yes?" How can I help you?" the woman asked. She was sure she didn't know this woman from church or the grocery store.

"Mrs. Tiller, I'm here from the police and I need to speak to your husband." It was a tiny lie for the sake of an innocent woman.

"Oh I'm sorry, he's asleep. He just got home from work not too long ago and he went straight to bed" Mrs. Tiller said helpfully.

"I understand, and I wouldn't normally bother him, but I need to ask him some questions about a case, and it can't wait. Could you wake him please?" Lisbon said as kindly as she could.

Mrs. Tiller was a bit disconcerted by the request, but she had been around police officers ever since she married her husband, so she let Lisbon into the house and went to awaken her husband. The dog stayed behind, watching Lisbon cautiously. Lisbon studied the living room, casing the place like Jane would, looking for anything out of the ordinary. A bookcase held knick knacks, books, football trophies and quite a few photos. Most were of Mr. and Mrs. Tiller and what appeared to be their two children. Another photo was of Billy Tiller and a much older bearded man in a three piece suit, smiling in front of a large country home. His father maybe?

The sound of heavy footsteps interrupted her thoughts and Lisbon turned to see a tousle-haired man enter the living room, clearly unhappy that his sleep had been disturbed. The dog immediately ran into another room.

"What's all this about? Who are you?" he grumbled, shooing his wife out of the room.

"Sorry to disturb you Officer Tiller, but I need to ask you some questions. I'm Agent Teresa Lisbon of the Austin FBI. Can we sit?" she asked, looking towards the sofa.

Tiller seemed to visibly shrink at the mention of the FBI, but he quickly regained his composure and indicated that his guest should take a seat. Then he sat in his favourite chair and glared at her.

"Well? What do you want to know?" he barked, worried.

"I understand you and your partner Fred Bullock were working the night shift last night. Your patrol takes you all over town and into the countryside. Did you notice anything unusual last night?"

Tiller stared at Lisbon like she had two heads. "Unusual? What the hell kind of question is that? My job is dealing with unusual situations. For Chrissakes, you woke me up for this bullshit?" he barked, standing up quickly.

Lisbon stood up and stepped forward, not willing to let this older man intimidate her.

"Calm down Officer Tiller and answer the question. Did you and your partner encounter an accident on County Road 120, after 1:30 am? Did you see this man during your shift?" she asked, holding out a photo of Jane.

Tiller grabbed the photo and glanced at it, then handed it back to Lisbon.

"Never seen him before. Is he wanted for something? What did he do?"

"No, he's not a fugitive, he's one of our people. He works for the FBI in Austin and he's gone missing. Did you see anything unusual on County Road 120?" Tersesa asked again.

"No, I did not. It was a quiet night and we pulled our shift. Then we signed out and left to GET SOME SLEEP!" Tiller barked.

"Did you make any arrests on your shift, bring anybody in to get processed?" Lisbon asked, pushing her luck.

"Lady, like I said, nothing happened, nada, zilch! We drove around, rousted a couple of drunks downtown and sent them packing, checked out and left work. Satisfied?"

Lisbon nodded and stood up. Tiller was very angry, but Lisbon suspected that it was an act for her benefit. Why? It was time to go and check in with Cho.

"Thank you Officer Tiller. You've been a big help. And sorry for waking you."

Lisbon pocketed the photo and knew she wouldn't get anything else out of the angry man, so she let herself out. Tiller stood at his living room window watching the dark haired Federal Agent get back into her car and felt bile rising in his throat. The FBI were looking for Jane already and proof of his arrest was sitting in the computer system at the Police Department. Jesus! He was in trouble! He reached for his cell phone to call Fred Bullock but was stopped by his wife, who had listened to the conversation from around the corner. By the time he explained away the visit from Agent Lisbon, Cho was already interviewing Tiller's partner.

A few blocks away, Cho was having a pleasant conversation with a sleepy Officer Fred Bullock. However, instead being angry and obstinate, he was remarkably deferential, offering Cho a coffee, a tea, a soda, anything he wanted. He was deferential because he was scared shitless. When the phone rang, Bullock ignored it, missing a warning call from Tiller. Too little, too late.

"I just have a few questions for you Officer Bullock, about a case we're working on. I understand you were on duty last night with your partner Officer Tiller, is that correct?"

"Yes, that's right."

"What kind of night was it, busy, quiet?" Cho asked.

"Quiet, real quiet. Kind of peaceful. Too bad it isn't always like that" Bullock offered, wiping his sweaty hands on his track pants. The presence of an FBI Agent in his living room was nerve wracking.

"While on your rounds, did you or your partner run into this man last night?" Cho asked him, showing Jane's photo. "We think he went missing sometime after 1:30 am."

Bullock took the photo and shook his head. "No, no we didn't see this man. For once there were no yahoos out in the country. Who is he?"

Cho noticed Bullock's hands begin to shake when he studied Jane's face in the photo.

"He works for the FBI. He was last seen at 1:30 am and now is missing. We were hoping you might have noticed something during your patrol last night" Cho answered.

Bullock wiped his face with his hand and bit his nails as he listened. "No, no, Billy and I didn't see him. But if we do, we'll make sure to let you know."

"Did you make any arrests last night?"

"Uh, no. Like I said, it was real quiet."

Cho sighed heavily and knew he would get nothing out of Bullock. He decided to end of his interview with him and take the pressure off the young man. Perhaps it would make the young Officer relax and make a mistake.

"Ok, thanks for your time. Sorry I had to wake you up for nothing."

"No problem. Always happy to help the FBI!" Bullock said a bit too cheerfully.

Cho let himself out and strode to his car. He drove around the block, then came back around and parked a few houses down from Bullock's home. He pulled out his phone and waited for Lisbon to answer. As her phone rang she pulled over to answer.

"Cho. Whaddaya got?" she said in shorthand.

"I've got a liar" he said cryptically.

"Oh? Fill me in" Lisbon said, eager to compare notes with her partner. "Why do you say Bullock is lying?"

"Bullock was awfully accommodating considering I woke him up from a sound sleep on a bogus visit. An innocent man would have been more annoyed. But he was almost grovelling."

"And?"

"And he told me he and Tiller went about their shift without incident, made no arrests and didn't see Jane."

"So..why do you say he's lying?"

Cho smiled into the phone. "Bullock insisted he and Tiller didn't see Jane out in the country after 1:30 in the morning. But I never mentioned Jane's route to him. Never told Bullock Jane had been out in the country at all or that 120 was the road Jane had to take to get to his motel."

"Holy cow…"

"Yup, holy cow."

"And how did Tiller handle your visit?" Cho asked Lisbon. She snorted with the memory of his aggressive posturing.

"Tiller was angry, belligerent, on the attack. Couldn't wait to hand Jane's photo back to me and insisted he didn't see him or make any arrests last night. The complete opposite of how Bullock acted apparently. He protested too much Cho. And one small thing caught my attention."

"Go on" Cho said eagerly.

"Well, it may not be anything, but very quickly in passing, Tiller said that at the end of their shift they signed out and then left to get some sleep. Sheriff Jolliet said that he didn't see them at all this morning when their shift ended, remember? How can you sign out without going all the way into the office and not be seen? What do you make of that?" Lisbon asked.

Cho leaned back and thought. "I think they both know a lot more than they're telling us. For sure Bullock is scared, Tiller is trying to intimidate us into going away, and they're both lying. Something happened out on that country road and we need to find out what it was."

"Cho, we don't have enough manpower to follow Tiller and Bullock around. We need that help from Austin."

"I'll call Abbott and fill him in on the latest and ask when the extra agents will arrive. You can bet Tiller and Bullock are on the phone with each other right now. We need to find that rental car as soon as possible."

Lisbon nodded, knowing the car was a key piece of evidence. "I want to go back to the Police Station and speak to the Sheriff again, ask if we can check their files for any reference to Jane. If Bullock and Tiller are covering something up, perhaps the evidence is back at the Police Station. We don't know for sure if Sheriff Jolliet is lying to us about no one being booked on the night shift" Lisbon suggested, energized now and eager to get going.

"Sounds good. I'll get Wylie to check Jane's phone GPS, see if he can resurrect it somehow" Cho suggested.

"Already done" Teresa said.

Cho grinned. Of course Lisbon already had Wylie on task. He should have assumed that.

"I'll also ask him to do a thorough background check on Tiller, Bullock and Sheriff Jolliet" Cho said, happy to have a plan of action at last.

"Do you suspect the Sheriff is in on this now?" Lisbon asked, seeing Cho wavering in his initial asssessment of the man.

"Don't know. It would be nice to eliminate him. Wylie will dig up everything there is to find" said Cho. "I'll come and find you later."

"What are you up to Cho?"

"I think I need to go back and wait and see what Bullock does now. I'll let you know if he and Tiller meet up."

They both went their separate ways, feeling like they were finally making some headway.


	9. The Great Cover-Up

Ok ok, here's another chapter! Enjoy!

Southern Charm

Chapter 9

The Great Cover-Up

As soon as Cho and Lisbon left their homes, Tiller and Bullock called each other. FBI Agents didn't come around for an insignificant reason, and that was a cause for concern. Comparing conversations, both men felt sure that they had not incriminated themselves in any way when it came to Patrick Jane's disappearance, but still, they were on edge.

"I sure as hell can't sleep now" Tiller groused, tired from his shift the previous night but too wound up to go back to sleep."

"Me neither. Those asshole Agents ruined my day!" Bullock whined. "I might as well stay up and grab some lunch" he complained. "Then I'll go back to sleep."

"No, don't bother. How about we meet up in about 45 minutes, at Tanner's Cafe? We need to talk this thing out, cover our bases, make sure we can wait out the FBI until they give up and go back where they came from" Tiller instructed his younger partner.

"Ok, I can do that. I'll see you soon" Bullock agreed.

Bullock and Tiller abandoned sleep for the day and got dressed again, with Tiller making up an excuse for his wife about leaving the house when he should be sleeping. Bullock got into his car and drove over to the cafe on a sideroad, where he waited for his partner to show up. Following a safe distance behind, Cho watched Bullock enter the parking lot, and when Tiller showed up, he took photos of both Officers entering the cafe together. Cho parked in a far corner of the parking lot, put a baseball cap low over his face and entered the cafe by the side door, finding a seat a discreet distance behind Bullock, facing Tiller. Tiller didn't know what Cho looked like and Bullock might not notice him, so he felt safe sitting so close. Both suspects were sitting together in a booth, their heads together in a furtive conversation regarding outsmarting the FBI.

"You sure the rental car is out of sight?" Fred asked his partner.

"Yeah yeah, forget about the damned car. It's out of sight. We've got bigger worries than that car. We have to get back to the Station and clear Jane's booking file before someone decides to check and see what we were up to last night" Tiller said.

"Why? Why not stick to our original plan?" Bullock asked, not seeing the bigger picture. Billy grimaced in frustration.

"What's wrong with you? How'd you think those two agents got our names and addresses? They've already gone to Sheriff Jolliet and asked a bunch of questions about what we did on our shift last night!" Billy Tiller explained to his slower companion.

"Oh geez!"

"You bet your ass 'oh geez!'. The only good thing we did so far is we didn't go to Jolliet and tell him we arrested Jane last night. That's gonna save our asses. No booking, no need to look for one. So now we go back to the Station and start to cancel everything out of the system before one of those Agents insists on taking a peek" Tiller told Bullock.

"How the hell we gonna do that with the place crawling with people?" Bullock asked.

Tiller sat and thought, trying to see how to get in and out without raising suspicions. "Isn't it that cute receptionist's birthday this week? Today or tomorrow?" Tiller asked Bullock.

"Sue? Yeah, so? I don't care if it is."

"So, why don't you go in and announce that you're taking Sue and anyone else hanging around the office to the Diner for donuts and cake. Your treat."

"No way! I don't want to spend that kind of money on that airhead!" Tiller objected.

"For shit's sake, do what you gotta do to help me out here! While you all go out and eat dessert, I'll erase the booking data, Jane's mug shots, and get rid of his personal possessions. When you get back there will be no trace of the man in our system. Now do you understand?" Tiller spelled out to his stupid partner. Bullock didn't like it but he had to agree it was a good plan.

"Fine. But you pay your half of the bill. You make more money than I do" Bullock groused.

"Sure, sure. But make sure you get as many people out of the office as possible, got it?"

"Yeah Ok. I'll even buy the kid a birthday card from you and me" Bullock suggested.

"Now you're thinking. Get over to the Police Department at 11:45 so you catch everyone before they make other plans. I'll slip in and start deleting files."

"OK. Sounds good" Bullock agreed, downing his coffee and setting off to find a birthday card for the young woman in the office.

Tiller finished his drink and smiled. This was still going to work, he was sure of it. By tonight, he and his partner would be in the clear. Cho watched from his table and checked that the photos he took of both men together had turned out. If only he could have heard what they discussed.

(The Farm, Stanley, Texas)

The sun was at its apex, still hot even though it was autumn. Judge Bachman had watched the road crew work at removing rocks and pulling weeds for a good 40 minutes until he became bored and went inside. Robert sat under the canopy, out of the sun, a rifle over his knee while he watched his prisoners work in silent unison. The new man, Jane, was struggling. He clearly was not cut out for manual labour. His shirt was open to release the heat that burned his chest but it did little to cool the exhausted man down. Jane kept hoping that soon they would be given a break to drink some cold water, but no matter where he looked, he couldn't see a cooler or bottled water anywhere near the line of men. If he lagged behind and his chain pulled on the leg of the man in front of him, he was berated and threatened by everyone on the line. While he was afraid of Robert and his rifle, he was also afraid of the burly men in the chain gang who regarded him as a slow burden. New men had to adapt quickly or else they would soon die. The causes of death were numerous but no one ever investigated.

The man in front of Jane struggled to dislodge a very large rock, but was having no luck. Jane stepped forward and without a word, bent to help him dig it out. It took both of them to move it and throw it into the wheelbarrow, but eventually they got the job done. The man brushed against Jane and gave him a small nod of the head in thanks, then turned back to his labours. It was a tiny gesture, but it meant that Jane had made his first positive impression on a fellow prisoner. Another 15 minutes passed before Robert stood up and rang a bell. All of the men dropped their tools and waited, with Jane swaying slightly in the heat. Robert walked behind his shelter and pulled a hose out from behind a large cactus. Jane thought he would die of thirst before he got a chance to drink the water that was surely coming his way.

Robert walked over and turned the hose on full blast, dousing the men, soaking their heavy cotton clothing and filling their open mouths with whatever water they could swallow before he moved on to the next group of men in the line. When he finally reached the end of the line, he blasted Jane with the stream of water and almost knocked him off his feet, but for Jane, it felt like heaven. He gulped as much water as he could and more again until he felt like he was drowning. His clothes absorbed the cold water and hung off his body like rags, but for that he was also grateful. The sun was blazing now, and the wet clothing might help him stay cool until he could collapse on his bunk tonight.

When Robert shut off the hose, the men automatically bent to resume their work without a sound. The whole scene was eerie, like Jane was watching a ghastly silent movie, except he was in the film himself. Now that the ground was wet, it made the job of loosening weeds and rocks a little easier for the men on the chain gang. Jane lost track of time and when his stomach started growling loudly, he assumed food would appear at some point. He had gone almost 18 hours now with no food. He looked over at the house and saw Irma the maid bringing a tray full of food out to the Judge, who had set up residence on the porch again. He ate his lunch while his slaves worked. It could easily have been a picture out of the 1800's, not the 2000's. Before she re-entered the house, Irma paused by the screened door and studied the sweating men on the line of chain. She never spoke about them, never passed comment, but still could not look away when given the chance.

Jane was beginning to stumble, his body giving in to exhaustion and hunger. The man chained in front of him bent down and grabbed something green out of the plants growing at the side of the road and stripped off the outer branches of the plant, keeping a lookout for Robert. When Robert looked away, he passed the plant over to Jane, signalling that he should put it into his mouth and chew.

Jane had no idea what the substance was but he was in no condition to question the man's actions. He quickly popped the tender stalk into his mouth and surreptitiously chewed, discovering that the plant was moist and sweet. So that's how the men worked for so long without food! When he got a chance to nod his thanks, the man only slightly acknowledged him. Everyone was afraid.

(FBI HQ, Austin Texas)

Wylie had dropped everything he was working on to try to ping the location of Jane's phone, but so far he'd had no luck at all. The phone had simply disappeared. As for the people Cho had asked Wylie to investigate, there was little there to suggest Tiller, Bullock or Sheriff Jolliet were dirty cops. Sighing with disappointment, he picked up the phone and called Cho with the bad news. Cho was in his car, about to follow either Tiller or Bullock out of the cafe when his phone rang.

"Wylie, what have you got for me?" Cho barked when he saw Wylie's name come up on his cell phone.

"Not much Cho. Jane's phone is gone, can't be traced. And Bullock and Tiller seem clean. There are no indications that they were ever brought up on disciplinary charges. Bullock's single, has only been on the police force in Stanley for 4 years, and Tiller has been on the force for 15 years. He's got a wife, two grown kids and a house with a large mortgage. He's not interested in moving up, seems to like being a regular beat cop. Sheriff Jolliet is well respected, involved in his community. He goes to church, volunteers at the local food bank, has a wife, 2 kids, a dog and a low mortgage. He looks squeaky clean Cho."

Cho listened with disappointment. While it was great that these three cops seemed to be uncorrupted, he still felt that something was amiss. Clean cops don't lie to the FBI. He decided to follow Bullock and drove slowly out of the parking lot.

"What about family members, extended family?" Cho asked.

"Bullock is an only child, single, his parents live in Florida.. Tillers parents are deceased, his wife doesn't work, their kids are grown up. He has a younger brother Frank, who lives just outside Stanley on a big piece of land."

"What does Frank do?" Cho asked, thinking this line of enquiry was a waste of time.

"Frank's a mechanic. Works for a service station in town as a mechanic. He also moonlights fixing up cars after hours at home. Has his own shop at the back of his property" Wylie added.

"Has he been in trouble with the law?" Cho asked.

"Ummm, yeah, once. He was arrested on a charge of running a chop shop, selling car parts and vehicles to some shady customers, but the case fell apart and nothing could be proven. He was let go" Wylie said.

At this news, Cho perked up. Tiller's brother could be the link they were looking for in the mysterious case of the missing rental car.

"Fell apart? Why?"

"OK... looks like evidence went missing, and the local Judge intervened on Frank Tiller's behalf. Something about the arrest being bogus."

"Why would a Judge get involved in a case before it landed in court?"

"The file doesn't say" Wylie said, reading quickly. "It was a Judge Emmett Bachman."

Cho digested this information, not sure how it would affect their search for Jane, but it definitely seemed odd.

"Thanks Wylie. Send me everything you've got on Frank Tiller, his arrest, his release from custody, anything that comes up. Tell Abbott that Lisbon and I are staying here until we get this resolved, and to send us that backup as soon as possible. I'll stay in touch."

"Ok, will do. Good luck finding Jane!" Wylie said hopefully.

For the first time since Jane went missing, Cho felt they were onto something that could break the case wide open. Bullock was blissfully unaware that he was being followed as he entered town. Cho watched him park his car and enter a drug store. A short time later Bullock came out with what looked like a card in his hands and a bunch of colorful balloons on streamers. This was a waste of time. Bullock drove onwards towards the police station and parked out front, then walked in carrying his card and balloons. Within 6 or 7 minutes, he came back out, followed by the receptionist Sue and a fairly large group of Officers and administrative personnel. As Cho watched, they all walked down the street and entered the Diner.

It was a birthday celebration. Cho drove off in disappointment.

(11:40 am, Stanley Police Department)

Tiller parked behind the Police building. He knew that Bullock was agitated and still angry that he had to play the part of the happy birthday party host, paying for his fellow officers and that kid who worked on the reception desk, but Tiller didn't care. Anyone younger than 27 seemed like a kid to him. Tiller waved hello to the daytime security guard by the back door and walked into the building, taking the elevator up to the main floor.

Tiller ducked into the men's room and hid in a stall, locking the door to wait until the office emptied out of all but a few employees. Bullock had walked through the office and made his surprise announcement that he would take everyone out to celebrate the birthday of their cute receptionist. A happy cheer went up as the men and women in the office realized they were getting a free treat, maybe even an extended lunch break. It was so easy to bribe them with food, Bullock realized. Then he went out to the reception desk and informed the sweet young woman of her birthday surprise.

"But, who'll man the desk if I go out with everyone?" Sue asked sensibly.

"It's all taken care of" Bullock lied, eager to get the group out the front door.

"Did you invite the Sheriff?" the young woman asked.

"Nah, he's out giving a safety lecture to the kids at the middle school" Bullock told her. Fortunately for him, it was the truth.

A few minutes later, the small group left, leaving the office empty except for a woman on the Dispatch line in a back office and a high school kid doing an assigment. The Dispatcher was blissfully unaware of the exodus of everyone else in the office. Now Tiller eased out of the men's bathroom and quietly walked up the hallway, keeping a wary eye out for Police officers who might still be there. When it became apparent that no one was going to stop him, he ran into the booking office and got to work. Just as he predicted, 15 minutes later, no trace of Jane's arrest remained on the Police database or on the CCTV cameras. One last piece of evidence remained.

Tiller stopped at the desk by the door and pulled the brown manila envelope out of the drawer before it was discovered and put into the secure lock-up. Jane's personal effects were the last sign that the man had ever been in the Stanley Police Department. Seeing as he was quite free to roam around the Police Station, Tiller slipped into the lockup cage and found the cash he needed to pay off Judge Bachman. As a longtime Officer, he knew how to get around the lock on the cage and was in and out in minutes. The bundle of cash went into the same black cloth bag that held the envelope with Jane's personal effects. As Tiller took the elevator back downstairs to the parking lot, he sighed with relief, nodding his head absentmindedly at the guard on duty and got back into his car. Now he could go home and really relax.

(12:05 pm, Stanley Police Department)

Lisbon pulled up to the front of the building and parked. She was surprised to see Cho waiting by his car. He joined her and a moment later they were in the empty reception room ringing a bell on the desk for someone to come and attend to them.

"Where is everyone?" Lisbon asked Cho.

"Bullock took them out for what seems like a birthday celebration. The receptionist was carrying a big bunch of balloons, so it must be her birthday" he explained.

When no one came after waiting for 5 minutes, Lisbon and Cho opened the door that led to the Sheriff's office and the main working area of the Police Department.

"Hello?"

"Anybody here? Hello?" Lisbon called out into the empty space. From the back somewhere Teresa heard footsteps, then they were met by a surprised woman wearing a telephone headset.

"Excuse me, but what are you doing back here?" the older woman asked the strangers, looking around for the usual day staff. They were mysteriously absent.

"Hi, I'm Agent Teresa Lisbon" Teresa said, holding out her badge for the confused woman to examine, "and this is Agent Kimball Cho." The woman introduced herself. Mildred Emery. Cho wandered through the office, looking for anything amiss.

"Where is everyone?" Teresa asked. "Shouldn't there be someone back here in case someone needs help?"

Mildred shook her head in consternation. "I just work on the Dispatch desk and I have no idea where everyone went. This is odd!" she admitted.

"And the Sheriff, where might he be?" Lisbon asked.

"Oh, he's out talking to the kids at the middle school, then he's having lunch with them in the school cafeteria. He does it a couple of times a year to show the kids he's a good guy that they can trust. He thinks it's good outreach!" the woman explained with a smile.

"Well we need to check and see who was brought into the Station in the last 24 hours. Can you show us where to look for recent arrest bookings, fingerprints, anything of that nature?" Lisbon asked Mildred.

"Oh, ah, I don't know. I'm not sure I can do that" the older woman mumbled, unsure how much this FBI Agent could do without the Sheriff giving his permission.

"We were in earlier and met with Sheriff Jolliet. He wasn't able to tell us with any certainty if anyone was brought in last night and we need answers for a case we're working on. So Mildred, please help us out here. It's important and we will make sure Sheriff Jolliet is informed of our actions. You won't be in any trouble" Lisbon assured her. Cho stood at the fingerprinting desk and noticed a discarded tissue with ink residue on it.

Mildred took her time, but eventually showed Cho and Lisbon where the fingerprints were stored on the computer system, as well as the booking log and mug shots from the last 24 hours. No matter where they looked, they could find no hint that Tiller and Bullock had arrested anyone. Just like they said.

Lisbon sighed with frustration. This day was a complete waste of time so far. She and Cho thanked Mildred for her help and started to leave, then Lisbon had a thought. Turning back, she stopped the woman from going back to her desk.

"Who worked on the Dispatch Desk last night?"

"That would be Donnie Sweeny. He prefers to work at night."

"Can you give me his contact information?" Cho asked the woman. Mildred had already done so much, what was one more bit of information now that the FBI Agents had found nothing amiss?

She found Donnie's contact information and handed it over to Cho, then went back to her desk wondering what was going on in the office today. Nothing was as it should be.

Another piece of the puzzle might just have fallen into their hands. If Donnie Sweeny was a dead end, Lisbon and Cho didn't know where else to look for clues to Jane's whereabouts.


	10. High Times

Thanks for all of the reviews! I've been under the weather with a cold so I am a bit slow responding to your messages, forgive me. Anyway, now that I'm feeling better, time for more information!

Southern Charm

Chapter 10

High Times

(The Farm, Afternoon)

As the afternoon wore on, Jane was able to find one or two more stalks of the edible plant and munched on them to sustain himself until his day was over. His palms were forming blisters from his labours, but he dared not stop working. There was no way to protect his hands, and it would take many weeks to build up the callouses he needed to work like this every day, all day long. He had to believe that Lisbon and Cho would find him soon, very soon, or else he wouldn't make it out of there alive. Robert stayed out of the sun under his canopy but kept an watchful eye on the sweating line of men. He had the easiest job in the world and loved it. The Judge was his Uncle and paid him a livable wage to keep the men submissive and locked up. Robert had never been one for hard work himself, or for asking too many questions about why his Uncle did what he did. He was a Judge so Robert had faith that whatever was going on at the Farm was legal and good. These men obviously belonged chained together, and he would make sure they stayed that way.

(Stanley Texas, 2:30pm)

Cho met up with Lisbon on a quiet side street lined with cheap high rise apartments. Their focus, Donnie Sweeny, was inside one of these buildings, no doubt asleep now. As they took the elevator up to the 4th floor, Lisbon kept a close hold on her emotions. Donnie had to know something! With no car to go over for forensic evidence of what happened to Jane, no true GPS location of the car, no cell phone location, no eyewitnesses to Jane's disappearance and no sign that the cops on duty had seen him, she and Cho were now at a dead end. The door to the elevator slid open and Lisbon and Cho walked down the dimly lit hallway to the last door on the left, #32. The unmistakably sweet smell of marijuana permeated the air around the apartment door, and Cho glanced at Lisbon with a smirk. Even if Donnie was awake, how much sense would he be making?

Lisbon rang the doorbell and waited. Nothing happened. Inside, Donnie was zoning out on the sofa, his apartment tastefully decorated and spotlessly clean. The sole ashtray on the coffee table held the remains of a few joints. He was one very mellow guy.

Cho took over and pounded on the door with his fist, keeping up a cacophany of blows until the sound eventually began to register in Donnie's foggy brain. Finally he sat up and stumbled over to his door, peering out of the peephole to see who needed to wake him up. At first he spied the lovely Teresa Lisbon, petite and dark haired, and wondered why such a beauty was banging on his door. Then he caught sight of Cho, intense, muscular and angry. Who the hell were these people?

"Go away! I'm sleeping!" Donnie yelled.

"If you can talk to us you're not asleep. Open the door, Federal Agents! We want to ask you a few questions about your shift last night at the Police Department" Cho barked through the thin door.

Donnie shook his head to get the cobwebs out, alarmed that Federal Agents had come to see him.

"Open up or I break down the door!" Cho warned Donnie.

A moment later the door clicked and swung open, revealing a skinny, sleepy man, clad in his undershirt and jogging pants. The smell coming out of his apartment indicated he had recently been smoking up, but that was a concern for someone else, another day. Donnie backed up and waited to see what these people wanted. Cho and Lisbon showed him their FBI badges and introduced themselves before they began their questions. Donnie let them in and pointed to two chairs.

"I understand you were working on the Dispatch Desk last night at the Station" Lisbon began.

"Why are you asking me? What's going on?" Donnie wondered aloud.

"We just need your input for a general investigation. You aren't in any trouble. So, you worked on Dispatch last night?" Teresa asked again.

"Yup. Like always."

"Do you always ask for the night shift?" Cho asked.

"Yeah, all the time. It's much more…relaxed" Donnie explained, the irony of his description not lost on Cho. The man couldn't have been more 'relaxed' if he tried..

"Were you high when you were working last night Donnie?" Cho asked, eyeing the ashtray.

Donnie tried to look shocked, but in his condition that was hard to do. There was no fooling the FBI as to his lifestyle.

"No man, uh uh...never before I go to work. I take my job seriously man. But once I get home, I like to chill out, if you know what I mean" he said with a grin, sitting down and relaxing now.

"What happened on your shift last night?" Lisbon asked, hoping the man had been sober.

Donnie rubbed his face with his hands to wake up some more.

"Nothing happened. Boring night. Thought it would never end" he said with disinterest.

"So there were no arrests? No one called in to say they were bringing in anyone?" Lisbon continued, knowing police protocol.

Donnie sat staring straight ahead, almost visualizing his evening at work. There wasn't much to remember, except for...

"Hey, there was one thing…" he began. "I guess there was an arrest. I forgot."

"Go on…"

"Well, it was just after 2 in the morning, I was getting up to do some yoga stretches, get the kinks out, you know? Sitting all night at a desk is killer on the spine…" he blathered on before Cho cut him off.

"Go on, what happened?"

"Oh, right. Well, I did get a call at the Dispatch Desk from Officer Tiller saying he was bringing in a suspected drug trafficker."

"Are you sure?" Cho asked. Lisbon's heart skipped a beat.

"Well yeah! I just got back to my desk after a coffee run to the hallway machine and the damned thing ate my dollar! Then I finished my coffee and thought my spine was getting cranky, so I stood up to do my yoga crunches and the phone rang. Like it was connected or something! Weird eh?"

"Sure is" Lisbon smirked.

"Yeah, so weird. So I know for sure what time Tiller called" Donnie insisted, still pissed off that he lost his dollar bill.

"And he said he was bringing in a suspect for drug trafficking?" Lisbon asked, just to be sure.

"Drug trafficking...AND...drunk driving" Donnie said, remembering more now.

"Did you see them come in? Tiller and Bullock, did you see them come into the office with their suspect?" Lisbon asked, very interested in Donnie's remarks now.

"No. They didn't even come by my desk to say hello, the arrogant bastards!" Donnie spat out. "They think they're so important! Never come and talk to me, like I'm not good enough" Donnie added, remembering their constant insulting behaviour towards him. "So you know what I say?" he asked rhetorically. "I say fuck'em!" He was getting himself worked up.

"Did you happen to see the person they arrested?" Lisbon asked hopefully.

Donnie shook his head. "Nope. Like I said, those arrogant pricks never speak to me, just over the radio because they have to call in. Once they get to the office, they don't speak to me again."

"And you're sure they called in with an arrest last night?" Cho grilled Donnie.

Donnie looked pissed off with the question again. "Dude, please. I wasn't stoned. I was sober. I don't want someone to die on account of me, so I keep save my doobies for my down time, OK?"

"OK, I believe you. But who else might have seen Tiller and Bullock bring in someone they arrested?" Lisbon asked.

Donnie scratched his chin and leaned back into the saggy sofa cushions. "Well that would be Dandy Andy!"

Cho looked at Lisbon with a scowl. What the hell was Donnie talking about now?

"Who is Dandy Andy?" Lisbon prodded Donnie.

"He's the cop on security duty at the back entrance to the Station. Thinks he's quite the ladies' man, so we call him Dandy Andy. He was working the night shift last night. If Tiller and Bullock brought anyone in he would have seen them. You should be talking to him" Donnie said with satisfaction.

"Can you give us his full name and contact information so we can follow up with him?" Cho asked, getting out his notepad.

Donnie picked up his phone and ran through his contact list. Finding a listing for Andy Stukowski, he handed it over to Cho, who took down the details.

"Thanks Donnie. You've been a big help" Cho told the young man.

Cho and Lisbon got up and thanked Donnie for his help again and asked him to keep this conversation to himself. Donnie was more than happy to say goodbye and when his guests had left, he collapsed onto the sofa again and was soon snoring deeply.

Cho and Lisbon walked in silence until they got into the elevator.

"Cho, there was no evidence of an arrest in the booking file in the office. No mugshots, nothing on the CCTV footage. So how did Tiller and Bullock make an arrest without it showing up?" Lisbon asked.

"If they did arrest Jane last night, for drug trafficking and drunk driving, it had to be a bogus charge, one they are desperate to cover up now. If they didn't want Sheriff Jolliet to know they arrested a Federal Agent, they had to cover up their mistakes in the office."

"Which they did, apparently" Lisbon agreed.

"But they forgot about Donnie. He knows what happened last night" Cho said, seeing what might have happened to his friend Jane more clearly now.

"If we accuse Tiller and Bullock of falsely arresting Jane, we don't have much proof other than Donnie's word. Without an eye witness, they can claim Donnie was too stoned to know what he was talking about" Lisbon cautioned Cho.

Cho nodded in agreement. A recreational smoker like Donnie would be no match against Tiller and Bullock.

"We need to speak to Andy as soon as possible. He might be in on this with Tiller and Bullock, but if he isn't, he will be our eyewitness to back up Donnie's testimony."

"Ok, let's go wake up Dandy Andy and see what he knows" Cho agreed.

Twenty minutes later Cho and Lisbon pulled up to a small house on the edge of town, and rang the doorbell. A middle aged woman appeared at the screened door and eyed the two agents suspiciously.

"If you're selling something, I already have it. If you're selling a religion, I've already been saved, so what do you want?" she barked.

Cho and Lisbon showed their badges and asked to speak to Andy Stukowski.

"He's asleep, I'm his mother" the woman informed them, daring them to argue.

"Yes Ma'am, we understand he works the night shift, but this is very important. We really need to speak to your son" Lisbon told her. "He's not in any trouble but he could help us with a case."

Mrs. Stukowski lowered her guard when she heard this. She was getting used to being around cops more now that her son had graduated from the Academy, so she relented and let Cho and Lisbon inside.

"Wait here, I'll get Andy" she said curtly.

A few minutes later a sleepy young man emerged from a back bedroom wearing an old bathrobe.

"My Mom said you guys are from the FBI?" he mumbled, confused. "What's going on?"

"Yessir. Can we sit and talk?" Lisbon suggested.

"OK, sure" Andy said, indicating the living room ahead. When all three were seated, Lisbon began to question him.

"Where you working last night?"

"Yes. Why? What's this all about?" the young Officer asked, disconcerted that two FBI Agents had come to his house.

"What time did you quit your shift?" Cho asked, pulling out his notebook.

"Same time as usual, 7:30 am. Why?"

"Did you see this man in the custody of Officers Bullock and Tiller at or after 2am this morning?" Lisbon asked, showing the Officer Jane's photo.

The young cop stared at the photo and took his time. Jane was wearing a three piece suit in the photo, whereas when he was arrested he was wearing jeans and a casual shirt, covered in spilled beer.

"He was wearing jeans and a shirt, not a suit. Did you see this man?" she pressed the cop.

He looked at the face staring out at him from the photo.

"Yes, I think so. Fred and Billy brought a blond man in at around 2:15am. I let them in the back door."

"Are you sure?" said Cho.

"Ah, yup. It was a real quiet night. Fred and Billy told me their numbers were down and the Sheriff wanted them to catch the bad guys, so I guess they were pretty stoked about making an arrest before the end of the week."

Cho had a thought. "Did you see them with this man again during your shift?"

Andy nodded, yes. "I was almost done my shift and Fred and Billy came back to the Station just before their shift ended. They seemed to be in a big hurry, and then they came out again real quick with this man again. He was handcuffed and they put him into a cruiser and drove away. I thought that was odd, but maybe they were transferring him to some other jurisdiction" Andy suggested.

Lisbon looked at Cho and knew they had their eye witness, someone who could corroborate Donnie Sweeny's account of an arrest being called in. They had their proof of Tiller and Bullock arresting and kidnapping Jane.

"Thank you for your help. This is a Federal investigation. Do not tell anyone we spoke. Someone will take your statement soon" Cho told the young man.

"Are Fred and Billy in trouble?" Andy asked, afraid he'd said something to incriminate his friends.

"We're just gathering information. Thanks again" Lisbon said, avoiding the young man's question.

(Mid-Afternoon, FBI HQ, Austin Texas)

Wylie had been hunched over his computer all morning since he heard that Jane had disappeared. Between researching Tiller, Bullock and Sheriff Jolliet, he had only been able to work on finding Jane's cell phone intermittently. Now he was totally focussed on finding that device. The battery was long dead, but he had his ways of tracking phones. It would take time, but he would keep at it until he could call Lisbon with the good news that he had found Jane's missing cell phone.

(Mid-Afternoon, Stanley, Texas)

Frank Tiller had gone to work at the garage in town that morning but now that he had some free time between assignments, he raced home to start working on the little silver grey Honda hidden away in his garage at the far end of his property. His wife thought he was still in town at the garage, so she wouldn't be nosing around asking awkward questions. Frank loved his wife Mary, and didn't want to lose her, but if she got wind of his extracurricular activities with stolen cars again, he knew she'd leave and take the kids with her. He got a bucket and hose and began to wash the car, prepping it for getting a paint job. Billy had suggested red, so red it would be. By the time the car was shiny clean and buffed to a nicely polished surface, it was time for Frank to head back to the garage and finish his shift. Then he'd pick up some automotive paint and head back home for supper later that afternoon. Whistling without a care in the world, he drove back into the small town, sure he was going to come out a winner in this little endeavour.

(The Farm)

Jane felt the strain of trying to match the workload of the men ahead of him on the chain gang. Judging from the position of the sun, it was late afternoon now, still hours away from quitting time. He needed to lie down and sleep, and protect his hands before the blisters on his palms broke upen and caused him even more pain. The young man in front of him turned to watch him surreptitiously every once in a while, and Jane felt sure that if they could talk, they would get along with each other. There was something about the young man that Jane sensed was out of place here. Upon reflection, Jane realized that his fellow prisoner was probably just as innocent as he was.

(Late Afternoon, Stanley, Texas)

Mrs. Mary Tiller, Frank's wife, let the dog out to do his business while she took her dry laundry from her wash line. As a practical woman, she couldn't see the point of turning on the dryer when the sun could dry her clothes for free. She was almost done when she heard a rustling in the long grass surrounding their manicured lawn and her excited dog Doogie took off at a run, happy to chase whatever little critter was buried in the weeds. She waited to see if Doogie would come back on his own, but by the time her last bed sheet was folded and placed in her basket, Doogie was still in hot pursuit of something. She only hoped it wasn't a bunny. It was getting late in the afternoon and she needed to start supper, so she walked to the edge of the lawn and called for Doogie to come home. Barking far off alerted her to his location, near the boundary of their property. Scowling at the extra work he was causing her, Mary got into her small car and drove around the perimeter of the lot and parked close to the workshop/garage that Frank used for his projects. She got out and called for Doogie again, and heard a happy reply, his barking just around the corner of the old building.

Mary didn't have time for this nonsense. The kids would be home soon from their after-school activities and she needed to get on with her day if only Doogie would cooperate. Running to catch him before he took off again, she dug into her pocket to retrieve a doggie cookie to bribe him into the car. As soon as she came around the corner, she found her dog, happily playing with a dead snake. The poor thing was small and quite harmless, but for Doogie it was a great toy. Yelling at him for being a bad dog, she grabbed him by his collar and dragged him back to the car and slammed the door shut, angry at him for killing a harmless creature. No cookie for Doogie today.

Mary had almost climbed back into her car when she looked through the window of the garage and spied a smooth silver shape in the corner. Curious, Mary walked over to the garage and found the key to the large door under a fake rock in the dried up flower bed. Frank didn't know she knew where he stashed the key. He didn't have to know all her secrets, like she didn't know all of his. The lock clicked open and she stepped inside the large space, disheartened to see the silver grey Honda. What the hell was her husband up to this time? Years ago he had been in trouble with the law for running a chop shop, and would have served some serious time if not for the help of his brother Billy and the curious intervention of Judge Bachman. But still, the shame of the charge had made her hang her head in embarrassment for a long time. Now, it looked like he might be up to his old ways again. Furious with that possibility, she stormed over to the Honda and yanked open one of the doors, surprised that it wasn't locked. She looked in the glove compartment for any sign of the rightful owner of the vehicle. She searched everywhere, but not a single paper was left in the Honda. Just as Mary was about to slam one of the back doors shut in frustration, she saw something tiny shining in the late afternoon sun. Something small and black was tucked under the front driver's seat, just barely visible. Getting down on her haunches, Mary reached in and grasped the object, only to find it was a small cell phone. Did this belong to the real owner of the car?

Mary tried to turn the phone on, but it appeared to be dead. Sighing with anger, she shoved Jane's phone into the pocket of her blue jeans and relocked the barn door. When she got home she tied Doogie up in the yard and strode into the house in search of a power cord that was compatible with the little phone. After a long search, she found one in the spare bedroom and plugged the phone into a wall outlet, then shut the door and went downstairs to start supper, fuming with annoyance. Frank had better have a very good reason for having the Honda and the phone, or else he would be sleeping in the garage tonight!


	11. Life on the Farm

Ugh! Snow! Already! I am not ready for this yet. I'll have to imagine I'm in sunny Texas to chase away the winter blues.

Southern Charm

Chapter 11

Life on the Farm

(The Farm)

Robert was bored and stiff from sitting in his little pavillion, watching the slow progress of the men. Time to shake things up, just for fun. Standing up, Robert walked over to the line of men and ordered them to stop pulling weeds. Grateful for the break, the men stood and waited to see what would happen next. With Robert, they knew he was looking for trouble, and someone would be made to look like a fool. Robert walked up and down the line of sweating men and finally stopped at the new guy, Jane. Jane stopped working and waited to see what the thug wanted with him.

"You're slow. You slow down the line. You're a mistake that I'll have to correct" Robert hissed in Jane's face. Jane said nothing.

"Tiller usually brings me a good man, but I think he's losing his touch. What should I do about you? Huh?"

Robert turned to the other men chained together in a long lime.

"What should I do about this waste of space?"

No one spoke, or moved. If they did, Robert would harrass them instead. The new guy would have to fend for himself. Seeing what cowards they were, Robert turned to Jane again, grinning with power.

"What's the matter? Too dumb to talk?" Robert goaded Jane, shoving his long index finger into his face. Still no response. Robert walked around Jane and studied him, head to toe. The man was slim and muscular in way that didn't come from heavy labour. Naturally fit? Maybe had a gym membership? Either way, it made Robert hate Jane all the more. He lifted a leg and kicked Jane's legs out from under him, sending the tired blond man crashing to the ground.

"Oops!" Robert laughed, gloating over the prostrate body of his newest victim.

Jane gritted his teeth and fumbled on the ground to stand again. His throat was dry with dust and dehydration. Still he refused to speak. Robert had to give the new man credit, he was no crybaby. But he wasn't done with him yet.

"I've been watching you" Robert said, brandishing his rifle in Jane's direction. "You're pretty useless. You're a useless, soft city boy. Isn't that right, City Boy?" he sneered, pushing against Jane's chest with his rifle. "Soft City Boy, I want you to tell the real men here what a soft boy you are!" he barked, issuing an order.

Jane sighed with fatigue and annoyance. What did this ass want now? He could be as brutish as he wanted as long as he was the one with the gun. If Jane had 5 minutes alone with him he'd have him hypnotized and doing a fan dance, naked, for everyone's amusement. But Robert had the gun, and Jane was in chains. So he played along and finally spoke.

"That's very astute of you Robert. Good for you. Yes, out here I would agree completely that I'm the most useless and soft man on the line. These other men have my respect for their strength, endurance and patience."

Robert began to grin, he had won yet again against his victim. But Jane continued.

" These men are tough, hard, resilient. Yes, compared to them I am completely soft and useless. Like you on most days" he had to add, unable to resist the dig at the man's ego. The flood gates had opened.

"You can't even manage to guard us without a chair to rest in, a hat to protect your scalp and a canopy to keep your baby soft skin from burning. So go on, tell us about soft city boys Robert!"

Robert's smile slid off his face as his prank failed to shame the new man, who instead turned it into an insult against his own masculinity. The whole chain gang was desperately trying to stifle giggles, as they had never seen anyone take down Robert so quickly and beautifully. As Robert's face contorted in embarrassed anger, his rifle butt came up and slammed into Jane's jaw, sending him reeling backwards until he fell onto the hard packed ground yet again. The giggling stopped.

"Robert!" an aggravated voice yelled from the front porch of the manor house. "Get up here, now!"

The Judge had been watching Robert from his wicker chair on the porch, and didn't like what he was seeing. Those men on the line of chain were his property. They belonged to him, and if Robert damaged one of them beyond repair, he'd pay dearly. Robert stepped away from the line of men, composed himself and barked out an order before obeying the Judge.

"Get back to work. And get the City Boy back to work or none of you gets any sleep tonight!"

As Robert walked slowly across the lawn to get scolded by his Uncle, the men on the chain gang gathered around Jane and helped him up, steadying him and making sure he was alright. Whispered voices mumbled "are you OK man? That was beautiful!" and "keep working, don't let the bastards win". Jane stood on shaky legs but found he could move his jaw. At least it wasn't broken, but he knew that by tomorrow his face would be black and blue from bruising. At least it would match his punched nose. Good. Every time Robert looked at his handiwork he'd be reminded that he couldn't push Jane around without consequences.

Irma watched Robert antagonize the men on the chain gang, and when he attacked Jane, her hand came up to her mouth to stifle a scream of shock. Twisting her tea towel in her hands she was sickened by the unrelenting cruelty inflicted upon those poor men out there, but she dared not say a word about it in front of the Judge. She was terrified of him as well. By the time Robert had reached the steps to the porch, Irma had retreated into the dark interior of the house and kept watch through a living room window. From here, she could eavesdrop on the conversation the Judge would have with his overly confident nephew, Robert.

Judge Bachman sipped an iced tea from a sweating glass as he watched Robert approach. When he was beside the wicker chair, Robert stood still, his hands folded nervously behind his back, waiting for the onslaught of abuse his boss would no doubt hurl his way. The Judge took his time, watching the men on the chain gang help the new guy get to his feet, dust him off and encourage him to go back to his work. This made the Judge very happy. His men were truly broken and would work no matter what was done to them. Like lambs, he thought. To the slaughter. Robert stood perfectly still, his face perspiring with tension, wishing the old man would just get this the hell over with. As if reading his mind, Emmett turned to face Robert and put down his empty tea glass.

"I remember your Pappy, my kid brother" he said slowly. "He was a good man, good man…" he repeated softly. "And your Mamma too. She was a mighty fine woman, God fearin' and a hard worker. She knew her place in this world, as all women should, and I respected her for that" he said, revealing what a misogynist he was.

Robert didn't know if he should agree with the Judge or just remain silent. He chose the latter.

"Your brother Thomas is also a fine man. Decorated soldier, respected lawyer, loving father, reliable friend. I can't think of better qualities in a man, can you Robert?" the Judge asked, looking directly at his employee. Robert hated to be compared to his much more successful younger brother.

"No Sir! He is a fine man" Robert agreed.

The Judged nodded his head, knowing he had made an excellent point. Then he raised his fat index finger and waved it in Robert's face.

"So if your Daddy was such a fine man, and your Mamma was such a fine woman, and you can't find fault with your brother, why the fuck did you turn out to be so goddamed stupid?"

Robert didn't know how to answer. No matter what he said, he'd only be pouring gasoline on a fire, but his pride was offended, so he went on the defensive.

"I am not stupid Your Honour. I was just testing the new man, making sure he can handle life here on the Farm. I can't have him feeling superior to me, Sir."

"Well that wouldn't be hard…" the Judge snorted in derision. Robert was transparently dimwitted, but he was loyal to a fault, and strong, and when armed with a gun and authority, he was what the Judge needed, however, if he continued to let his prisoners make a fool of him he'd have to disappear. That would be a set-back, but the Judge could always find another malleable man to groom for the job of overseer. The Judge stood up and thrust his finger into Robert's chest, accentuating each word with a sharp poke to the sternum.

"Do. Not. Disappoint. Me. Again! I can easily put you on that chain gang if you can't do a simple job of work for me! I own those men, I own this farm, I own that dog you think you trained, and I own you. My property. My rules. Bear that in mind the next time you plan to show off to those men."

"Yessir! I understand Sir! You don't have to worry Your Honour!" Robert said in a jumble of words. While the Judge had often castigated him for some wrongdoing in the past, he had never threatened to put him in chains. This was a new cause for alarm.

"I'll be watching Robert. Now get the fuck back to work and don't let that sissy Patrick Jane run circles around you again!"

The Judge sat down again and called for Irma. As Robert slunk off the porch in shame, the small woman appeared at Emmett's side with a full pitcher of fresh iced tea.

"Thank you Darlin'" the old man smiled as she poured another glass of the cool liquid for him. He looked at her with happiness because he owned her too. Irma hoped he didn't see her shaking hands as he watched her work.

(FBI HQ, Austin, Texas)

Wylie tried to get Jane's phone to come to life just long enough to send a signal to GPS heaven so that it could be traced, but to no avail. Hours had passed, and he was growing more and more frustrated. He'd been cooped up for most of the day, and now he needed to move, get away from his desk, get a breath of fresh air, then maybe he would come back refreshed and in a better frame of mind to find a way to locate his friend Patrick Jane. Standing up, Wylie went to the small kitchen and poured himself a fresh coffee, then wandered around the bullpen making small talk with some of the agents sitting at desks. The outdoors beckoned, so Wylie took the elevator downstairs and went for a walk in the bright October sunshine. Finding a bench, he sat down to drink his coffee and turned his face to the sun, recharging his batteries.

Inside, at his cluttered desk, a program on his computer sprang to life, pinging with an alarm Wylie had set. Somewhere in the vast world of the Web, Jane's phone had been reactivated and was sending a signal out into the Universe. And Wylie wasn't there to take action.

(The Farm, Late Afternoon)

The front door of the old house opened and Irma emerged, carrying a large basket. She tried to ignore the men on the chain gang as she walked across the lawn towards the bunkhouse. A few of the men stole glances at her then resumed their labours. Irma took a key out of her apron pocket and unlocked the heavy wooden door and stepped inside, depositing sandwiches on a long table at the front of the room. Instead of returning to the door, she ran into the small bathroom. Reaching into the large twist of hair she had pinned on top of her head, Irma pulled out a small square of paper, which she slipped into a crack in the bathroom wall before returning to the main room. Moving quickly, she glanced around to make sure she wasn't being watched, then ran her fingers tenderly over a pillow on a bed half way down the room. While keeping her eyes on the door, she reached under the pillow and pulled out tiny square of paper, which she again hid in her thick dark hair. Sighing with sadness, she stepped outside, relocking the door and returned to the house, like she did every day. When she entered the house, the Judge was waiting by the ornate staircase going to the second floor. Without a word, Irma took the key out of her pocket and gave it back to the old man. She was not trusted to have access to the key except for twice a day to deliver food to the prisoners. When his fingers touched her hand, Irma recoiled in disgust.

"Thank you Darlin'" Judge Bachman said as she turned to go back to her chores. The sound of his voice made her skin crawl. He watched her move through the house with a feral intensity, a yearning rising up in him to remind him of his much more sexually active youth. His wife, God bless her, was dead and gone, but that didn't mean he had forgotten the pleasures of the flesh. For that, he knew he could always turn to Irma for relief. As far as he was concerned, satisfying his physical needs was as much one of her duties as cooking and cleaning. The thought of that made him smile before he turned to look out the front door, his attention now on his overseer as he began to round up his prisoners.

Robert stood up and rang his bell. The men dropped their trowels and stretched their overtaxed muscles. Robert walked to the end of the line, directly behind Jane, and barked "March!"

The men walked in lock step back across the lawn and over to the long wooden bunk house. Bullet ran across the lawn and stood guard over the men, happy to have a job to do. Robert had the chain gang stand away from the door while he opened it. Then he shouted at them to line up. Each man put his hands on the shoulders of the man in front of him, making it more safe for Robert to work alone. One by one he unlocked their chains and watched them drop their ankle rings before they ran into the bunkhouse. No one tried to overpower him, the men didn't gang up on him. They were like obedient puppies running for their kibble. Jane thought that the men could easily have fought Robert off and set themselves free, even if the dog bit some or all of them, they could still overpower Robert. All of this was very puzzling. Eventually it was Jane's turn and he felt the chain fall from his ankle ring. He stepped into the relatively cool bunk house and found the men huddling over a table of sandwiches and cold water. That was all that Irma was allowed to prepare for them, every damned day. Jane took a step towards the long table holding the food, but Robert blocked him, his rifle against his chest.

"Uh uh uh...hands off! The Judge wants you on rations, remember?"

Pointing at Jane's bunk bed, Robert indicated the half sandwich that was sitting atop Jane's bedding. That was it, Jane's entire supper. He was ignored by the other men who were wolfing down their sandwiches as quickly as possible.

"That's right. Eat it!" Robert barked.

Jane didn't argue but took the limp slices of bread and began to chew. He was famished. He wanted to make the half sandwich last but it was gone in only a few bites. Robert laughed and stalked out of the bunkhouse, leaving Jane to make his own way with his fellow prisoners.

(Stanley, Texas)

Cho and Lisbon were at the Diner, where they waited for 3 other FBI agents that Abbott had sent to help with Jane's mysterious disappearance. Cho opened his phone and showed Lisbon the file Wylie had forwarded about the key people in their investigation. Like Cho, she was surprised to learn that Frank Tiller had been arrested for running a chop shop, but all the charges had mysteriously disappeared.

"I can't imagine a Judge would involve himself in a case like that! Wouldn't that get him disbarred?" Lisbon asked Cho.

"You would think...unless the corruption goes much higher than we first thought."

Cho flipped forward to a page on the file and showed Lisbon a photo of Frank Bullock, and later, Judge Emmett P. Bachman.

"Wait! Cho, I've seen this man before!" Lisbon said quickly. She had to think, how could she have seen a photo of this older man? Where was it? It was a photo of the Judge with someone else in the picture… Suddenly she remembered.

"When I was waiting for Billy Tiller to wake up, I checked out his living room. There was a bookcase with lots of family photos, but also one of Billy standing with an older man. I thought it might be his father, but it was Judge Bachman!"

Another connection between crooked cops and a now questionable Judge had just clicked into place.

"Cho, this case is getting stranger by the hour" Lisbon said, handing his phone back to him.

As they discussed this latest bit of news, the other agents sent from Austin filed into the Diner.

Lisbon filled them in on what they had learned so far and Cho described the key players in the list of suspects. They now knew that Tiller and Bullock had arrested Jane, claiming he was drunk and transporting drugs. They had two witnesses who could attest to the fact that Jane had been arrested, and one was an eyewitness. Clearly Bullock and Tiller knew where Jane was and so, the Agents had to be careful now not to spook them. Lisbon and Cho had skipped lunch and were famished, so they decided to grab an early supper. All 5 agents quickly ate and then began to come up with a plan. Cho and Lisbon would stalk Tiller and Bullock, hoping they would lead them to Jane. The other agents would surveille Frank Tiller and Sheriff Jolliet, who was still not above suspicion. Until more evidence surfaced, they had nowhere else to look. As they were about to leave, Lisbon's cell phone buzzed with a call from Wylie.

"Jason, whadday got for me?" she asked. The torrent of words pouring out of young Wylie's mouth came so fast and furiously that Teresa had to ask him to slow down and start again.

"OK, relax, what happened?"

"I left my desk and went outside, got too cramped in the office and pow! It happened as soon as I left! After all that time and as soon as I leave all hell breaks loose!" he burbled with excitement.

"What happened Jason?"

"Jane's phone! I found it! It went from totally and completely dead and untraceable to alive again! And I know exactly where it is!" he said with joy.

Lisbon waved at the group of FBI men around her to stop and wait. "Can you send me the address where his phone is sending a signal? We'll go and find it" she said with rising hope.

"Sure sure. I have no idea why it's working again, and when I call it goes right to voicemail, but it's working again. Here's the address…"

Lisbon repeated the address that Wylie gave her and all of the agents around her found it on their phones. It was the home address of Frank Tiller. Was Jane a prisoner at the Frank Tiller's house?

"Good job Wylie! This is a big help!"

"Go get Jane, that's all that matters" Jason said happily.

"Why the hell does Frank Tiller have Jane's cell phone?" Lisbon asked Cho.

"He's Billy Tiller's brother. He's part of this somehow. We'll squeeze him until he tells us everything he knows" Cho stated.

Lisbon and Cho entered the address into their phone GPS and arranged with the other agents to surround the home of Frank Tiller.


	12. Closing the Net

Things are heating up! Thanks for the reviews, I will try to get back to you soon.

Southern Charm

Chapter 12

Closing the Net

(Suppertime, Frank Tiller Residence)

A dusty pickup truck with a winch on the back end pulled up alongside the old clapboard house. Frank came in to find his kids in their bedrooms busy doing their homework, early. Normally they would watch TV or play video games until it was time to eat, and then only grudgingly do their homework after supper. Something was up, the tension in the house was palpable. Frank walked up to his wife at the kitchen counter and tried to plant a kiss on her neck, but she arched away from him and beat a bowl of eggs so hard it appeared they would fly away.

"It's awful chilly in here" Frank said sarcastically. Women! Why were they always so crabby all the time?

Mary said nothing but glared daggers at her husband.

"What? What did I do now? I just got home and I feel like I walked into a deep freezer!" Frank carped, sitting down with a beer.

Mary stopped beating the life out of the eggs and threw the whisk into the sink, turning to face her husband.

"You promised me you'd stop. You said you'd go straight, for me, for the kids. After all that shame and embarrassment I went through years ago when you were arrested, and now you're doing it again! And for what? What the hell are you thinking?" she yelled at him.

Frank stared at his wife in confusion. For shit's sake, what was she going on about?

"Are you on something? You been drinking Mary? What the hell are you accusing me of?" he yelled back.

Mary walked to the window that faced the back of the property. Pointing, she lowered her voice and dropped the bombshell she had been fuming over for the last 2 hours.

"The car, Frank. The silver Honda in the garage. Whose car is it because it sure as hell isn't mine, and I know it isn't yours. So why is a car in our garage under lock and key, just like it was years ago?" she hissed.

Frank choked on his beer and set it down on the table. Why was Mary snooping around his garage? She knew he didn't like her nosing around in his business. She should never have discovered the car before he got rid of it.

"What were you doing, going in my garage, huh? Don't you have enough to keep you busy around here so you gotta go snooping around in my stuff?" he yelled.

"I wasn't snooping Frank! The dog chased a snake and I had to go get him and bring him back here. He ended up at the garage. A car is a big thing Frank, hard to hide. Is that what you were doing? Hiding it out there? Why?" she asked again.

She looked at her husband and was disgusted. He was just like his much older brother Billy. They were both bullies. When you accused him of something, he turned it around so that you were the one having to defend yourself. Well not anymore.

Frank didn't want to explain to Mary why he had a stolen rental car in his garage. Even he didn't know exactly why his brother Billy had asked him to tow it to his place, which upon reflection, was a mistake. The smashed GPS and the need to paint the car as soon as possible told Frank that Billy was in trouble, and he had to cover for him, again. He loved his wife Mary, but he couldn't resist a bit of larceny on the side. He had to find a way to soothe his wife's temper and make Billy happy at the same time.

Upstairs in the spare bedroom, Jane's phone was now fully charged and sending a strong signal out into the darkening evening sky, a signal that 5 FBI agents were now tracking from the back roads of Stanley Texas.

"Look Mary, it's simple. The car belongs to Billy. He's going to sell it and wants me to clean it up and paint it first. There's nothing secret about it. It isn't hidden, it's just in the garage out of the sun. If I wanted to hide it, would I leave it there for you or the kids to find?" Frank lied.

Mary listened to his story and knew that he was lying. If Billy really wanted Frank to work on the car he would have told her sooner, talked about how much money Billy would be paying him for the job and how they would either spend the money on a nice night out or tuck it away for a rainy day. But Frank didn't say a word. He was lying to her again. She bit her lip and decided to walk away rather than risk a screaming match while the kids were in the house. Once they got through supper and the kids were in bed, she was going to grill him again. Unable to be in the same room with her husband at the moment, Mary wiped her hands off on a towel and walked out the back door.

The sun was down, casting the yard into darkness and Doogie was pacing back and forth, eager for his last meal of the day. Mary untied the dog to bring him inside for his supper. As she turned around to walk back to the house, two dark clad figures appeared out of the shadows and swiftly approached, while another came from behind, putting his hand over her mouth.

"Sssh, FBI. Come with us" a voice said. Mary was shown an ID badge and a woman's face appeared before her.

"Agent Teresa Lisbon, please go with these agents while we speak to your husband" she said, then nodded at the men holding Mary before she could protest or shout out a warning to Frank in the kitchen.

Mary was taken to an FBI vehicle and put into the back seat while the dog was tied up and given a handful of treats to keep him quiet. Lisbon, Cho and the other agents surrounded the house, every exit covered in case whoever might be holding Jane inside tried to escape. At a given signal, Cho announced "FBI, open the door!"

Frank was in the middle of a gulp of beer when he heard Cho yell. He slammed his beer bottle on the table and stood up in a panic. Why the fuck was the FBI at his house? Holy shit!

"FBI, we're coming in!" Cho yelled and the door burst open. In what seemed like seconds, Frank was surrounded by agents pouring into the house from three separate entrances. The kids upstairs heard nothing as they were plugged into their ipads with headsets on.

Cho and Lisbon instructed the other agents to secure Frank and then they began a room by room search, looking for either Jane or his phone. When they burst into the children's rooms, the kids were terrified. Lisbon brought them downstairs and sat them down on the sofa, telling them they were not in any trouble and it would all be alright. Frank sat handcuffed to his kitchen chair and watched by the other black clad agents. In minutes it was clear that Jane was not being held against his will in the large house, but Cho emerged from the spare bedroom with Jane's cell phone in his hands.

He called Lisbon over and showed the device to her, a small grin on his normally serious face. They needed to open the phone and study it carefully, but first, Frank had some explaining to do.

Cho held up the phone in Frank's face. "Tell me about this" he said.

Frank had no idea what was going on. "It's a phone" he said curtly.

"It's a phone belonging to a missing FBI Agent. Why do you have it?" Lisbon asked him.

Frank looked from Cho to Lisbon and back again. What the hell was going on?

"I don't know anything about the phone. Nothing! I've never seen it before" he sputtered.

"And yet it was plugged into a wall socket in your spare bedroom next to your Sports Illustrated magazine collection. So tell me again how you've never seen it before" Cho said.

Frank was scared and confused. "I haven't seen it before! Really! I've been at work all day and I've never seen that before. Maybe my kids found it at school" he guessed, never thinking of Mary.

"We'll be asking them if they found it. If we call your boss will he be able to attest to the fact that you were at the garage all day?" Lisbon asked Frank.

"Yes! I was!" Frank said, then realized that wasn't true, and his boss knew it. He had let Frank go home for a couple of hours that afternoon.

"No, wait, don't" Frank said, afraid to admit he'd towed a car home on the orders of his brother and he had come home to clean it up.

"Yes you were at work all day or no, you weren't" Lisbon said. "Which is it Frank?"

"Yes, I was at work all day, but my boss let me leave for a little while this afternoon. I had some errands to run" he said lamely. "Then I went back to work. Ask anyone at the garage in town, they'll back me up!"

"The phone Frank. Did you acquire the phone on those errands?" Cho asked, holding it up again for Frank to see. "Will something on this phone incriminate you Frank?"

"No! There isn't anything on that phone about me!" Frank shouted.

"But I thought you'd never seen it before. So how can you be sure what's on it?" Lisbon asked the frightened man.

"I'm not...it doesn't...I never…" Frank sputtered, making things worse for himself.

Cho nodded at an agent by the back door and a moment later it opened, and Mary was led in wearing handcuffs. An agent sat her down opposite Frank at the breakfast table, her tear stained face a mask of terror. This went beyond her worst nightmare.

"Frank, what did you do?" she wailed. Frank desperately wanted to reach out and console his frightened wife but his hands were securely locked to the back of the wooden chair.

"I didn't do anything, I swear. This is all a mistake honey."

Cho stepped over to Mary and sat on a chair beside her.

"I'm sorry about the handcuffs Mrs. Tiller. Until we know exactly what went on here we have to be cautious."

Cho held up the small cellphone and watched the expression change on the woman's face.

"Do you know anything about this phone?" Cho asked her gently.

Mary sniffed away her tears and nodded vigorously. "Yes! Yes I found it today when I went after the dog! I found it and brought it home and plugged it in to see who it belonged to. I found it in…"

She stopped and looked at her husband, who looked anguished. She'd found it in the silver car, which she believed at suppertime he'd stolen. Oh God, did she just incriminate her husband?

"Go on Mrs. Tiller. Where did you find this phone?" Lisbon asked her softly. "We really need to know everything you know. A man's life depends on it."

Mary looked at Lisbon with shock. Someone could die? Because of Frank? Whatever Frank was up to, she didn't want a man to die because of it.

"I...chased after my dog. He ran all the way to the back of our property where Frank has a garage. He works on cars back there sometimes, and when I looked in the window, I saw a silver car in there."

Cho and Lisbon exchanged glances. Another break. "Yes?"

"Well, I went in and looked at the car, and checked inside to see if there was anything in there to identify the owner. I was going to call and let them know we had his or her car. But the car was completely empty. Then I saw a bit of that phone sticking out from under the front seat. I picked it up and tried to turn it on but it was dead. I figured if I got it charged up I could return it to its owner."

"And why would you feel the need to find the owner of a car that was in your husband's garage?" Cho asked. "Were you concerned the car was stolen?"

"I..Frank used to..the car might have been…" she stammered, not sure how to answer without condemning her husband.

"Mrs. Tiller, we know that Frank was arrested for running a chop shop years ago. Is that what you believed he was doing again?" Lisbon suggested.

Mary looked over at Frank and saw a shell of the man she'd married. He really was a crook at heart.

"Yes" Mary said softly, with shame. "I'm sorry Frank. I didn't know what was going on."

Frank had nothing to say to his wife. He had done this to her, to his kids.

"Frank, if you want to see your kids grow up, you need to come clean and tell us everything you know about the disappearance of Patrick Jane" Lisbon said, showing Jane's photo to Frank.

"I swear to God I've never seen that man! I don't know anything about him. All I know is that Billy asked me to tow a car that was on the side of the road and to bring it back here! That's all!" Frank explained in panic.

"So why destroy the GPS?" Cho asked him.

Frank looked at Cho and Lisbon. How the hell did they know about that?

"I...uh...he told me to take it out, kill it...Billy did…" Frank mumbled, seeing now that he was in serious trouble, much more trouble than running a chop shop. Cho had had enough.

"Frank Tiller, you are under arrest. We have probable cause to suspect you of aiding and abetting a kidnapping and grand theft auto. You'll be transported to Austin where you will be held until we can determine your part in the kidnapping and disappearance of Patrick Jane" Cho said somberly. Frank felt like he was going to throw up. Goddam his brother! Mary wept openly at her husband's fate.

"Mrs. Tiller, we want you to make a statement as well," Cho said.

"Am I under arrest?" she said through her tears.

"No Ma'am, but we will need you to tell us again what transpired here today and sign a statement. You don't have to come to Austin. Your kids need you now."

"Yessir" Mary said numbly. An agent stepped forward and released the handcuffs on Mary's wrists. Frank was taken out of the kitchen door without incident and Mary, accompanied by Lisbon, went into the living room to explain to her kids that she was helping the police with an investigation. An agent stayed in the house to take Mary's statement while the other agents fanned out to thoroughly search the house and garage.

Cho and Lisbon sat outside in their rental car and opened Jane's phone. There didn't seem to be anything amiss. There were no strange messages or emails. Then Lisbon opened the camera and saw that a video had been recorded. It told them everything they needed to know about the night Jane disappeared.

From a perch high in the car, a sharp image appeared of Jane's car swerving all over the road to avoid hitting a man on a motorcycle. When the car finally stopped on the side of the road, the video momentarily went black, then suddenly began again, this time with the camera turned around to record the inside of the car. Jane came into view, an expression of exasperation on his face as he muttered "oh now you show up" as a police car sat behind him with its lights flashing blue and red.

As Cho and Lisbon watched, Jane was questioned by Billy Tiller, whose body and ID tag could be seen through the driver's side window. Then another cop appeared, a younger man, Bullock. The entire conversation between Jane and the Police Officers was recorded. As Jane was pushed to explain why he was soaked in beer, he finally had to admit that he was an FBI employee who had just finished working a sting operation at Cujo's Bar. Jane had done everything he could to diffuse the situation, even going to far as to giving Tiller and Bullock Cho and Lisbon's contact information to verify his crazy story. Nothing he said would help as he was summarily ordered out of his car, body slammed against it, and then handcuffed, "for safety".

What the camera recorded next was a cursory "search" of Jane's rental car, and then in clear view of the phone, Bullock opened up a pocket on his pant leg and pulled out two small baggies containing dry substances, which he then slipped into the pocket on the back of the driver's seat. When he then pulled them out again, he announced that he'd found drugs. As Jane was arrested for drunk driving and possession of drugs for the purpose of trafficking, he begged the Officers to administer a breathalyser test to no avail. Lisbon watched the video with rising disgust and let out a long series of curses, some of which Cho didn't know she had in her repertoire.

"We've got them Cho! Proof that they took Jane and railroaded him! " Lisbon said angrily. "Tiller and Bullock were the last people seen with Jane. This goes beyond a false arrest Cho. This is kidnapping."

Cho agreed, his jaw clenched in anger. Sheriff Jolliet's wonderful Police Officers weren't so wonderful after all.

"So where did Jane go after Bullock and Tiller arrested him and got him out of the Police Station?" Lisbon said, breaking into Cho's thoughts.

Cho turned off the phone and put it into an evidence baggie. "We know they brought him in, since they made the mistake of calling in to Donnie Sweeny on the Dispatch Desk. Something must have spooked them, because no one saw Jane at the Station, and there is no trace of him in the system. So where would they take him? Why arrest him if they aren't going to get credit for the bust?"

Lisbon sat deep in thought. Tiller and Bullock were running a scheme of some sort, and this time, something went terribly wrong. So wrong that they had to get rid of Jane.

"We need to find Tiller and Bullock and bring them in, squeeze them until they tell us everything" Lisbon said. "If they catch wind of Frank's arrest, they might go underground, then we won't find Jane."

Cho agreed, then exited the car to make the necessary arrangements to transport Frank Tiller to Austin for questioning, and made sure Mary and the kids were taken care of. Finally, he sent the video file of Jane's bogus arrest to Wylie with instructions to show the video to Abbott and enter it as evidence of a crime. The house was secured and surrounded with police tape while other agents searched the garage and called in the forensic team to go over the silver grey Honda for any clue as to Jane's location.

Now, they had to bring in two rogue cops.


	13. Charming the Beasts

Why so much snow so early in November? Why? Better to stay inside and write Mentalist FF!

Southern Charm

Chapter 13

Charming the Beasts

(Evening, The Farm)

Sunset. The end of an incredibly harsh day for Patrick Jane, his first full day as a modern day slave. The Judge's control over his life even extended to the amount of food he was allowed to consume. Jane did manage to get a paper cup of water before it all disappeared from the long table at the end of the room, and then his meal was finished. His hands were tender from digging with a trowel, a completely useless instrument for the job he had been given that day. Robert knew how to make each task that little bit harder to complete. Jane had tried to use the sharp end of the trowel to uproot the rocks and weeds on the side of the road, but the land was so sun-baked and hard it was like using a marshmallow to crack concrete. His usually beautiful hands were covered with blisters and cuts, tender and torn from his labours.

The other men in the cramped cabin ignored him and stayed to themselves, laughing and unwinding from their hard day. This was when they could finally talk, play cards, checkers, chess, all with improvised, self-made paper games. They would have more than enough time to learn all there was to know about the newest prisoner, so they turned their backs on him, for now. Since Jane had no friends yet he made eye contact with the man who had given him the plant to eat on the road earlier that day. He eventually come over to Jane to introduce himself.

"I'm Mike" he said, extending his hand.

"Patrick Jane."

Jane tried to shake Mike's hand but grimaced when the blisters on his palms protested. Mike took note and knew what to do.

"You need to learn how to take care of yourself out here" Mike said softly. "Do what I say and you'll survive. Come with me" he said, walking away from Jane and not waiting for an answer.

Jane had no other option but to follow the large young man to the end of the bunkhouse to the very small bathroom that held only a sink and toilet. There was no way to take a shower and certainly no bathtub. To say hygiene was primitive was an understatement. Mike reached into a crack in the wall and extracted something, which he immediately put into his pants pocket. Jane said nothing.

"Take off your shirt and undershirt" Mike ordered Jane. Immediately Jane felt in danger. Mike was much bigger that Jane, and would be hard to fight off.

"Why?"

"Just do it. I ain't gonna rape you man! I'm just trying to help you" Mike said with a sad grin.

Jane considered his position on the chain gang and realized that if Mike, or someone else, or all of the men wanted to molest him, he wouldn't be able to fend them off alone, so he shrugged off his stinking shirt and pulled his still fairly clean white undershirt over his head. Mike grabbed the thin cotton undershirt and proceeded to rip it up into long strips of cloth, saving some fabric for large squares of cotton.

"Wash your hands real good, make sure they're dry" Mike told Jane, who complied like a child.

When Jane had completed his tasks, Mike took care to wrap Jane's palms in the strips of cotton t-shirt material.

"This here will help protect your hands until they heal and get tougher" Mike told Jane. "And these here squares, you tie one around your head like a cap, keep the sun offa your pale ass head" he grinned. "Keep the other one for an emergency" he added.

"Thank you" Jane answered. He couldn't believe the kindness Mike had offered him, since he was a total stranger. Why was Mike here, on the chain gang? What was his crime?

"If you don't mind, may I ask you how you ended up here on the Farm, on the line?"

Mike stiffened, not sure how much to say to this new man. Why would he ask such a personal question?

"Just so we have no secrets, I was kidnapped out of my rental car at 2 in the morning. I should be at home in Austin right now, but Officers Tiller and Bullock seemed to think they needed an arrest, and I was available and unknown in town. They arrested me on a false drug trafficking and drunk driving charge. I expect by now they've destroyed my car and my phone so no one will know where to look for me" Jane explained simply, hoping Mike would trust him. "How many other men here are victims, like me?" Jane added.

Mike looked out into the bunkhouse at the men trying to amuse themselves with card games or attempting to sleep. He didn't know all their stories, but he did know that Jane was not alone in being falsely arrested. The only difference between Jane and the other men was that Jane still had hope of setting himself free. The other prisoners had long ago given up any such ambitious thoughts.

"You aren't the only one who was arrested on a bogus charge. Some of the men are guilty of petty crimes, a couple got drunk and got arrested for disorderly conduct, maybe assault, but a lot of them were just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"How do Tiller and Bullock choose who to bring to the Judge?" Jane asked.

"They don't, not usually. It's the Judge who tells them he wants someone to work the line, and they find a man fit enough to do the hard work. It's always someone single, not from around here, someone no one will miss for a long time. When they appear before the Judge in court, he finds them guilty, of course, and sentences them to a term in prison."

"Let me guess, they never go."

"That's right. Tiller tells the Judge which men are the best choice to work the chain gang, so nobody is gonna come snooping around lookin' for them, then when the hammer comes down in court, Tiller and Bullock take them right outta there and drive them over to the Farm."

"And there's no paper trail because the Judge never officially sentenced them and never notified the prison to expect someone. They just disappear" Jane said, finally understanding how the Judge got away with his prison farm for so long.

"We got crooked cops in town and they need to make their arrest quotas. But the dirtiest of them all is Judge Bachman" Mike said, spitting his name out as if it tasted foul in his mouth.

"What about the 'A' Team? What's different about those men?" Jane asked, eyeing them in the next room.

"That? That's bullshit is what it is. They've been here the longest and the Judge believes they are so broken that they would never ever think about trying to escape. He gives them a variety of jobs to do instead of the mindless and repetitive work we're doing. We pick weeds on that same damned road month after month. A week after we pull a weed, it's back again. Pointless. The Judge rewards the 'A' Team with better food sometimes, let's them have lemonade instead of water, sometimes pie. After you've been eating sandwiches and drinking water forever, you begin to envy those men. The Judge is smart. He knows some of the men will become more loyal to him if he gives them a reward to work for."

"Sounds like the Stockholm Syndrome" Jane mused. "You and your captives begin to feel like you're in it together, against the outside world."

"Yup. Those men are happy to be the Judge's favourites. Sad" Mike agreed.

Weariness was about to topple Jane, so he found an old wooden chair and pulled it up, needing to sit after his hard day in the sunshine.

"So why are you here Mike? Did the Judge need to add a man to his line?"

Mike glared at the floor, his face a frozen mask of controlled fury. Jane saw his hands balling up into fists, so clearly the young man was struggling to control himself.

"Mike, did you break the law and get sent here instead of going to prison?" Jane asked gently.

That seemed to snap Mike out of his black thoughts for a moment. Looking at Jane he shook his head, no.

"I didn't do anything. I was home from school, first year of College, and was working in town for the summer. My Daddy had recently died, and my Mamma moved to a small apartment on the edge of town to save money. She found work as a maid, to make ends meet. Old man Bachman used to see her around town and took a fancy to her, liked what he saw, I guess."

Jane began to get a sinking feeling, knowing where the story was going.

"One day he cornered my Mamma when she was trying to get her groceries into the car, and he offered her a job at his house out here. Told her he'd pay real good money if she moved out here permanently, to take care of the household, and him."

"And she said 'no'" Jane said softly.

Mike nodded. "She'd heard that the Judge was a hard man, and she was happy in town. She was making some new friends, liked her new little apartment, and she liked working for the lady who ran the library. Even though my Daddy was gone, she'd been able to put her life back together. She was happy. So she said 'no' to the Judge."

"And then?"

Mike splashed some cold water on his face to cool down. "And then, Tiller and Bullock arrested me on a bogus drug charge. I've never done drugs in my whole life, probably never will, but somehow when they stopped me in my car, they found drugs. I ended up facing Judge Bachman. I was going to go to prison for a good long time, unless my Mamma made a deal with the old man. She didn't want me to go to prison, not even for a day, so she said she would move here and work for the Judge. Now he gets what he wants, doesn't even have to pay her."

"So why are you here? He got what he wanted" Jane asked, sad for both Mike and his mother.

"He couldn't let me go. I was the insurance policy so that my Mamma would stay and keep her mouth shut about what the Judge is doing here. Instead of letting me go, or putting me on probation for something that never happened, my arrest record disappeared, and so did I. I never went back to school, instead when I left the courtroom Tiller and Bullock brought me here, and I've been on the chain gang ever since."

"I've seen your mother watching us from the front porch. She's checking to see that you're OK, isn't she?"

Mike smiled. "Oh yes, she does do that, every chance she gets! When Robert attacked you, she was afraid he might go after the rest of us too. But there's nothing she can do about it, even if he does."

"Did she put that piece of paper in the wall for you?" Jane surmised.

Mike smiled and nodded. "It's the only way we can talk to each other. She leaves me a note, and I write back. She picks the note up from under my pillow when she comes in with food, and so it goes. She smuggled some paper and small pencils in here over a long time and that's how we made our playing cards and games. We hide them when we go to bed so Robert won't find them."

Jane had to admire Mike and his mother, especially his mother. She was finding ways to make life easier for the men in the bunkhouse at great personal risk to herself. He had to set them free. Fatigue was flooding over Jane, so he decided to continue this conversation tomorrow.

"I'm going to do everything I can to get out of here Mike, and when I do, I'm taking you and your mother with me" he said with certainty.

"No you ain't. You can't get outta here."

"Watch me" Jane said with a tired smile.

He walked back through the crowded bunkhouse, ignored by all of the other men. Jane wanted to get to know his fellow inmates. He might need them to help him escape. He decided to make a show of himself, get it out of the way.

"Ah, hello! I'm Patrick Jane...the new guy" Jane announced, smiling at the surprised men. Stopping briefly while they looked him over, they then turned back to their conversations and games.

"I was just wondering how many of you are here on false charges, like me. How many of you had drugs planted on you or in your car?" Jane added, watching faces for a reaction.

Several men turned and faced him, clearly surprised that he would be so bold as to talk about his arrest. Scrutinizing their faces, Jane got what he wanted from them. Yes, there they were...micro-expressions all but shouting that some of the men on the chain gang had been similarly railroaded into a life of servitude, just like he and Mike. Before Jane could ask more questions, a very large man who was easily twice the size of Jane came over to him and pushed him up against the wall. Jane didn't recognize him right away, but then realized he was on the "A" team digging the hole for the swimming pool.

"What the hell is this? You a stooge for Judge Bachman? You here to spy on us?" he growled, his large hand wrapping around Jane's throat.

A crowd gathered and watched with cautious excitement as Bull terrorized the new guy.

"Nope. No spy. I got busted for possession and drug trafficking early this morning by two cops, Tiller and Bullock. They planted the drugs in my rental car as I was on my way to my motel" Jane managed to squeak out hoarsely. "I'm supposed to be home in Austin right now. But...but I have a question for you" he said, surprising his antagonist before he was cut off.

"You're lying. The Judge put you in here to spy on us!" Bull shouted, forgetting that Jane said he had a question of his own. His hand tightened around Jane's neck, causing his face to darken from a lack of oxygen. Bull watched contentedly as his victim's face turned from deep pink, to red, to a dangerous purple. As Jane's eyes began to flutter and his clawing hands fell to his side limply, a man stepped out of the group to confront the giant.

"Leave him be Bull. We aren't planning a prison break, so let him go" Mike said gently. Bull's hand stayed tightly around Jane's neck, but he seemed to relax slightly, turning to face the man speaking to him softly.

"It's OK now, you can let him go" Mike said again, his voice soothing and steady. For some reason, Bull listened.

Bull obeyed and opened his hand, then stepped away from Jane, leaving him alone. Slumping to the floor, Jane gasped and wretched, sucking air in as quickly as possible. When he had recovered enough, Jane nodded his thanks, yet again, to the man who had now helped him three times. When he recovered his voice, Jane stood up and addressed the men again.

"I am not a spy. What's there to spy on? I was on that chain all day with you."

A few men grunted their acknowledgement of Jane's prisoner status. Jane continued.

"But I do have a question. I know most of you are innocent of the charges brought against you. What I want to know is, why do you stay? Why don't you try to overpower Robert when he lines you up to be chained for the day? That would be a great time to set yourself free."

Bull objected to this idea. "See? He is a spy for the old man!" he shouted, his hand coming up for Jane's throat again.

"No, he's not. And he's asking a good question" Mike countered. Bull dropped his hand.

"How the hell are we gonna get past Bullet?" a voice arose out of the pack of curious men. "You're so smart Mike, explain that to us!"

"I don't know, but if we can get Bullet out of the way, would you try to take on Robert?" Mike asked the murmuring crowd. A rustle of whispered comments ran around the room. Bloodhounds were by nature gentle beasts, loyal to their families and keen to spend their days tracking interesting scents. But if they were never socialized, or even shown kindness, they could easily become aggressive, trying to become the alpha dog amongst the humans around them. This is what had happened with Bullet. The men had seen what Bullet could do to a man, and none of them wanted to be the idiot to sacrifice himself to let others run to freedom. Jane stepped into the middle of the group of men.

"Ah...he's just a dog, not a guard with a gun" Jane interjected. "Just a big slobbering empty stomach on legs. Right? I'll bet Bullet's only loyalty is to the man feeding him."

"That would be the Judge, or Robert" another man shouted. "And in case you didn't notice, we don't got any kibble, you moron!" he added.

Jane smiled wearily and walked through the crowd, happy to enlighten the men.

"Exactly. We don't have kibble. How many of you have ever owned a dog? Huh?" he asked, looking from man to man, as most of them nodded in affirmation. "And what did your dog want more than anything?" he asked.

"Food!" someone finally answered. "As much as I'd let him have, even more if he could steal it" he added, to the amusement of the group.

"That's right. Dogs will eat until they get sick. There's no 'off' switch. And we all know, given a chance, a dog will choose human food over boring old dry kibble" Jane said enthusiastically.

"What the hell are you trying to tell us?" Bull shouted from the edge of the group of men. He was very large but very simple. Mike stepped forward and joined Jane.

"I think we need to make Bullet like us more than he likes Robert or the Judge" Jane began to explain. "While he will get his dry kibble once or twice a day from them, we can fill him up with people food at breakfast and at night. I can guarantee you that his loyalties will switch pretty soon if he knows where the good stuff is coming from" Jane smiled, holding up a dry old sandwich stuffed with mystery meat. "To a dog, this is heaven!" he grinned.

"Prove it smart ass!" someone dared Jane. Even though he was exhausted and only wanted to sleep, Jane had to get the men on his side immediately. Now he had to prove his point. He turned and walked back to the end of the bunkhouse. The men parted to let him pass and watched as he approached the solitary door in the structure. The cabin was very old, originally built to be used as a shed, but gradually it was expanded to accommodate prisoners. With a good lock, the structure was secure, but the wooden door was old, original to the building. While it was thick and sturdy, it was ill-fitting and let light in around the edges, even rain on a wet day. Even though it was padlocked on a short length of chain on the outside, Jane could manage to open it about an inch before it stopped against the chain. As Jane forced the door open as far as it would go, Bullet leapt to his feet, growling and snarling, his jowls dripping saliva at the prospect of biting into nice soft flesh. It was dark now and Bullet relied on his nose to figure out what was happening. Instead of a finger appearing through the crack, a lovely smelly meat sandwich was waved under his large leathery nose. It quickly disappeared into Bullet's cavernous mouth.

"Quick, give me another one, anything!" Jane shouted. Mike grabbed whatever was left on the table, mostly dried crusts with bits of butter and shards of filling still clinging to them, and ran towards the door. Jane very slowly fed the food to the waiting dog on the other side of the locked door, watching as all pretence of aggression melted, replaced with a wagging tail. When the last scrap of food was gone, Jane spoke softly to Bullet, telling him what a good boy he was. Bullet snuffled around at the crack of the door and eagerly licked crumbs off Jane's proffered fingers. When he had licked all traces of food from the long white fingers, Bullet leaned his head against Jane's hand and almost begged to be tickled.

As the men watched in amazement, Jane cooed at the bloodhound and scratched his ears as well as he could manage. Eventually Bullet sank down onto his belly and fell asleep, happy that someone had finally shown him some kindness.

Jane turned to face the astonished men in the room and smiled.

"Eh voila!" he said before he walked to the other end of the room to wash his fingers in the tiny bathroom.


	14. Running Scared

Southern Charm

Chapter 14

Running Scared

(The Farm, Evening)

Jane had made a tiny opening in his relationship with his fellow chain gang members. Mike seemed like a good man, Bull was simple but manageable, and the rest? Time would tell. Four of his fellow bunkmates were on the 'A' team. Would they stick their necks out to help Jane escape or would they sell him out to Robert and the Judge for more food and better lodgings? The other men on Jane's chain gang were persuadable, given enough time. While he was desperate to try to escape right now, Jane knew it was too soon to be Bullet's friend, and the other men in his bunk house might be too afraid to help him find a way out of their locked cabin. Plus, he was just too physically depleted to even consider running into the unknown tonight. No, he was forced to bide his time and stay there, for now. He would do whatever he could tomorrow to make sure that he didn't have to spend a second night locked in this stinking wooden prison.

(Frank Tiller Residence, County Road 19, Stanley Texas)

Mary Tiller had managed to calm down, as much as was possible after witnessing her husband's arrest by the FBI. Her two young children had been frightened when the Agents in black came crashing into the house and their bedrooms, but she had reassured them that those weren't bad people. They only took their Daddy away to work on a big problem. The trick now would be explaining that their Daddy was a good man who had made a bad mistake. Watching the kids engrossed in a movie, Mary silently cursed Frank for putting the kids and her through this again. The FBI lady, Agent Lisbon, had warned Mary not to speak to Billy or Fred, and certainly not tell them that Frank had been arrested and taken to Austin for questioning about their missing co-worker.

As if.

Mary had no intention of helping Billy with any of his nefarious plans. It was his damned fault all of this had happened. Lisbon had warned Mary that she could be charged as an accessory to Jane's kidnapping if she warned Billy to run and get out of town. At this point however, Mary would be pleased to see that screw-up brother-in-law of hers in handcuffs. Just thinking about it caused her head to pound, so she told the kids to be good then went upstairs to soak in a hot bath. If only water could wash away the sins of her larcenous family.

(Billy Tiller Residence, Stanley, Texas)

Billy was on edge, but confident things were going to work out. As he ate a late supper he ticked off all of his worries on his fingertips and checked each one off.

Jane out of sight? Check.

All evidence of his arrest out of police systems? Check.

$5,000 for Judge Bachman secured and hidden? Check.

Rental car hidden and soon to be repainted and sold? Check.

FBI Agents sent packing with no information? Check.

Bullock on board and playing along? Check.

When he listed everything so clearly, how could he be worried? Everything was under control. While he shoved a forkful of mashed potatoes into his mouth, he thought about his brother Frank and the Honda. He hadn't heard from Frank since he said he'd smashed the GPS and towed the car to his backyard garage. Once his plate was empty, Billy went into his bedroom and called Frank on his cell phone. The line rang and rang. Odd. The whole family should be home at this time of the night. The kids would soon be hustled off to bed and Frank and Mary would be watching TV, or fighting. Grinning at that idea, Billy called again, this time on Mary's cell phone line. It rang for a long time but just as he was about to hang up, the call was picked up and a young voice answered.

"Uncle Billy?" It was Frank's youngest child Carly.

"Hello sweetie! I was calling for your Daddy but he didn't answer his phone. Is he home?" Billy asked.

Carly remembered the chaotic scene when the house was full of Police Officers with those strange jackets spelling out FBI. Her Mummy had told her that her Daddy had to go and help those policemen with something important, and now he was gone and Mummy was in the bath, the door locked and music playing. Carly also knew her Mummy was crying, a bit.

"Carly darling, where is your Daddy?" Billy asked again, trying to be patient with his niece.

"Daddy's gone now" Carly told Billy. "He went with those other policemen to a big city and is going to stay there for awhile. Mummy was real mad at Daddy."

Billy's hair stood up on the back of his neck. Which policemen? Who?

"Carly sweetie, what did those policemen look like? Did they wear the same kind of uniform as me?"

"Nope! They were dressed all in black, like Ninja's, and they had on big vests with the letters FBI, but I don't know what that means. What does that mean Uncle Billy?"

Billy felt his stomach drop at the mention of FBI agents at Frank's house. What the hell happened?

"Carly, sweetie, it doesn't mean anything, never mind about that. Where is your Mummy right now?"

Carly walked around with the phone glued to her ear, watching the movie as she spoke to her Uncle. Finally she got back to the phone call.

"Uhhh..Mummy's in the bath. She's not feeling too good. She said she'd feel better by the time she got out."

Billy didn't have time for this. He needed information from his brother's wife.

"Can you tell your Mummy to get out of the bath and talk to me? It's very important!" Billy told Carly, his panic rising.

Carly sighed and shrugged her little shoulders. "Ok, but she's gonna be mad!"

The phone was put down and he heard the child running upstairs yelling for her mother. It took forever, but finally Carly came back and picked up the phone.

"Mummy won't come to the phone. She's really mad at you Uncle Billy!"

"Did you tell her it was really important?" Billy asked, tendrils of fear creeping up his spine.

"Yup, I did. But she's in the bath and won't come out. She said I should tell you that she isn't going to talk to you anymore. 'Cause she's mad" Carly added again.

"OK sweetie, thanks for trying. I'll talk to her when she's feeling better" Billy said, shaken and worried now. Something really bad had happened at his brother's house, and if it was bad for Frank, it would be worse for Billy and Fred. He needed to think, hard.

Billy hung up his phone and sank down on his bed, shaken. Holy shit. The FBI had arrested his brother! They must have found the missing rental car. If they traced it, they would know that goddammed Federal Agent had been driving it! Would Frank talk? Give up his brother? What if they came for him next? The confidence he had felt only minutes ago had vanished.

He grabbed his phone again and called Fred Bullock, to tell him the bad news.

"Drop whatever you're doing and get in your car. We have to make some new plans. Meet me at the gate leading to Judge Bachman's farm. Take back roads. The Feds are most likely looking for us so don't get caught."

"What? The Feds? Why? What happened?"Fred whined, terrified of being arrested by the FBI.

"Just do what I tell you and grow a pair of balls! Meet me and let me get us outta this!" Billy shouted, panic rising in his gut.

"OK OK!" Fred agreed, getting up to run to his car, his supper forgotten. Fred's mind was blank, overtaken by fear. He was totally at the mercy of his older and hopefully wiser, partner.

A minute later he backed out of his driveway, wheels squealing, heading out of town.

Billy sat on the bed, scared, worried. This afternoon he thought he had covered his ass. Patrick Jane's arrest had been expunged from Police records and he was safely out of sight, but the FBI wouldn't give up! The only way to make it out of this mess was to get Judge Bachman to go along with a new plan and if the old man didn't agree, they could all be heading for life in prison. With shaking hands, Billy now had to make the hardest phone call of all. His heart raced as he dialed the Judge's number.

(The Farm)

Irma was busy washing the supper dishes while Judge Bachman sat on his porch, enjoying the cool night air. This was a lovely time of day, with the fall bringing a change to the usually oppressive air. While there wasn't much in the way of seasons in this part of Texas, it still felt different from the stale still summer nights that he had to suffer through. The Judge stood up and stretched, inhaling a lungful of sweet air and then turned to head back inside. He was feeling happy, energetic even. He hummed softly to himself as he walked down the long hallway running from the front door to the expansive kitchen at the back of the house. As he entered the kitchen he saw Irma leaning over a large pot, scrubbing it in the deep farm sink. He quietly slipped up behind her and put his arms around her body, grabbing her breasts and squeezing them, effectively trapping her against the counter. The Judge pushed his groin into the small woman's back, grinding against her to appease his growing sexual excitement. Irma said nothing but inhaled sharply, disgusted, knowing what was going to happen next.

"You gotta stop looking so good Darlin'" he whispered in her ear, nuzzling her with his whiskery lips.

"I...I have to get this clean" Irma said urgently, hoping he'd leave her alone to finish her dishes.

"I don't care about that damned pot!" Bachman said, grabbing the woman and spinning her around to face him. His face was inches away from hers, his breath heavy with the scent of his stale after-dinner coffee. It made her stomach turn to know that soon he'd be shoving his foul tongue into her mouth, while he took his time raping her.

"Dry your hands and come upstairs" he quietly ordered her, holding her tight.

Irma knew better than to refuse Bachman. Nodding, she reached for a tea towel, taking as long as possible to dry her hands. When he had waited long enough the Judge grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the hallway. They were almost at the bottom of the curved staircase when his cell phone rang on the hall table. Annoyed, he tried to ignore it, but Irma grabbed it with her free hand and answered, trying to stave off his sexual attack. The Judge simmered with anger.

"For you Sir, it's Officer Tiller" she said, handing the phone to Bachman, then she walked away quickly before he could grab her again. He watched her escape with growing rage. Damn that disobedient woman! He'd have to be particularly harsh with her tonight teach her who her master was. When he was finished raping her, he'd find new ways to break her, body and spirit.

"Judge Bachman" he intoned harshly. "Billy! What fuck you callin' me this late for? You interrupted something mighty important! You got my money?"

"Yes Your Honour, I've got your money."

"Well come on over and bring it to me!" the Judge barked into the phone. "Don't keep me waiting."

"Judge, that's not why I'm calling. We got trouble."

Bachman forgot about Irma for a moment. Trouble?

"Whaddya mean 'we got trouble'? What did you do Billy?"

"I didn't do anything Your Honour, but we got FBI Agents all over town snooping around in our business. They arrested my brother Frank!" he admitted.

The Judge laughed at that bit of news. "Well good, your brother is an idiot. So why are the Feds snooping Billy?"

Billy was dreading this part of the conversation. It wasn't going to go well.

"It's that new man I brought to you, Patrick Jane. Turns out he's a Fed" Billy blurted out fast, like ripping off a bandaid. "We arrested a Fed on a trumped up charge and handed him over to you. Now the FBI is looking for him."

Bachman listened closely with mounting anger. "You told me you were bringing me a drug trafficker and a drunk, did you not? Begged me to take him offa your hands."

"Ahh, well yes Sir, but not exactly. We, me and Fred, we needed to boost our arrest numbers, so we picked that guy up in the middle of the night and charged him with drug trafficking and drunk driving. We didn't know he was a Fed. It was a bad mistake and that's why we needed you to take him off our hands and hide him out at your Farm when we found out who he was. He needed to be put somewhere, where no one would ever find him, Your Honour." Billy was sweating, finding it hard to breathe.

Bachman looked out a large window in the hallway towards the wooden cabin where his prisoners were housed for the night. One of them was a Federal Agent. Jesus!

Irma had hidden herself away from the Judge and his lascivious desires. Even from her hiding spot she could hear the Judge yelling in the front of the house.

"And just what the hell are you gonna do to fix this Billy, because this sure as hell isn't my mess to clean up!" Bachman vented.

"I know Sir, I know. Leave it to me and Fred, we'll think of something. But for now, maybe you should get rid of the men, just in case" Billy said haltingly.

"Just in case what you idiot? In case you open your big mouth and tell the Feds what we got goin' on out here? Because if they find me, I'm not going to prison alone!" Bachman yelled.

Irma couldn't believe what she was hearing!

"No Sir, I won't tell them anything, but still, maybe you should move the men for a while, just until this all blows over" Billy pleaded with the old man.

Bachman closed his eyes in thought. How bad was this situation, really? Could the Feds find out he ran a prison camp with chain gangs? He decided to take Billy's advice and cover his tracks, for now. He'd make Billy pay for this later.

"Billy, you fix this on your end and I'll get the boys outta here. We never spoke, understand?"

"Yessir, thank you Sir!" Billy grovelled, scared shitless of the Feds, scared shitless of the Judge.

Judge Bachman ended the call and stood looking out into the black night. Irma had heard enough to be very frightened for her son Mike. Was the Judge really going to move the prisoners? What had happened to make him even consider such a thing? Would she ever see her son again? She was not allowed to use the phone, ever, on the threat of a beating. So how could she get help? She needed to get out of the house, any way she could, before he turned his anger towards her. She slowly opened the door of the pantry where she was hiding, and crept toward the brightly lit kitchen. If the Judge turned around, he'd see her making her escape.

The Judge placed a call to Robert and demanded that he come to the Farm immediately, and to drive the large truck that the Judge used for shipping pecans out to distributors. That was his occupation now that he was semi-retired from the Bench, or so most people believed. Next Bachman looked around for his maid, yelling for Irma. No answer. He stormed into the living room, then the large dining room, no Irma. He ran past the large pantry on his way to the kitchen to see if she was washing that damned pot again, but then stopped, turned back, and pulled open the door to the pantry. The light was on, but she wasn't in there He ran back towards the kitchen just in time to see her trying to unlock the back door. She was so busy trying to jimmy the lock that she didn't hear him coming for her. A moment later, the Judge was on her, grabbing her by the wrist, yanking her painfully out of the kitchen and down the hallway toward the front of the house. She fought him off as well as she could, hitting him with her free hand but it was futile. There would be no escape from him tonight. His hand came up and swatted Irma across the face to stop her resistance.

"Get to your room."

She fell against the bookcase, her hand covering the red welt on her jaw. "Why?"

The Judge grabbed the small woman and shoved her against the wall. He had no time for her bullshit tonight.

"You do as I tell you and get upstairs! You keep quiet and stay there until I let you out again or I swear to God you will regret it to your dying day!. Do you understand me?" he shouted.

"Yessir!"

Irma turned and ran for the staircase leading to the second floor, the Judge staring at her as she quickly ascended. Whatever was going on, she knew he was scared and that made her situation much more tenuous. When Irma got to her room she ran to the front window to see if something was happening out in the yard, but it was so dark it was hard to tell what was going on. Then she heard the sound of a key in the lock of her door. She was a prisoner in her own bedroom. She didn't know how long she'd have to stay there, but she knew, eventually the old man would return, and fueled with lust and anger, he'd use her for his own twisted pleasure.


	15. Into the Night

Thank you everyone for your wonderful reviews and comments. Much appreciated!

Southern Charm

Chapter 15

Into the Night

(Stanley Texas)

Cho and Lisbon were watching the homes of Tiller and Bullock. Neither of them wanted the dirty cops to know they were under suspicion, and hoped that they would lead them straight to Jane.

Soon after Cho arrived at his home to surveille him, Tiller got into his car and drove away heading for the outskirts of town. A few streets away, Bullock left his home as well, with Lisbon on his tail. Another FBI Agent was on his way over to Sheriff Jolliet's house to question him and gather evidence against his corrupt cops. The remaining two Agents were divided between surveilling the Police Station and waiting on the edge of town for more instructions from Cho and Lisbon.

Tiller took a very circuitous route, afraid of every shadow and car that drove past. If anyone came up behind him he was sure it was the Feds, coming to arrest him. Cho kept a safe distance behind but had to make sure Tiller didn't get away from him. He managed to stay on his tail until they reached the edge of town where an ancient rail line bi-sected the last intersection. Tiller saw the flashing lights announce the approach of an oncoming train, but he didn't slow down. As the safety arm came down he gunned the engine and raced across the tracks just before the train roared across the road. Cho was two cars back and now was stuck waiting for the train to pass, losing sight of Tiller's car in the process. He called Lisbon to tell her the bad news. Tiller drove as if pursued by the devil, happy to leave the other cars behind him at the rail crossing. Taking a side road, he wove back and forth along dark country lanes until he eventually found the main road leading to Bachman's farm. Ahead, Bullock was already waiting for his partner at the gate leading to the Farm lane, unaware that Lisbon was sitting in her car, hidden from sight, watching him through binoculars.

Eventually a cloud of dust heralded the arrival of Tiller's car. Slamming on the brakes he ran over to Bullock and conferred with the frightened man.

"I've got the Judge's money. We gotta give it to him or God knows what he'll do to us. Once he takes the money, he's as dirty as we are."

"Then what? We can't go home and act like nothing happened" Fred said. "What if your brother Frank tells the Feds what we've been up to?"

"He won't! He's not that dumb!" Billy assured Fred, but he was worried, worried about his losing his trusting wife, his home, his comfortable life, worried that Frank would betray him for a plea bargain. Fred at least was free to take off and start again somewhere else. Damn him…

"First, we gotta go meet the Judge. Then we'll see what he suggests we do. He needs us as much as we need him" Tiller said. "He can squeal on us, but we can sell him out to the Feds about the chain gangs, so he better step up and help us," he suggested, feeling sure that it was true.

"Get in your car and drive. I can come back for my car later" Tiller said. Billy opened the gate to the farm lane and then got into Bullock's car. As soon as the car drove out of sight down the long private lane, Lisbon eased her car back onto the road and called Cho, giving him directions to her location.

"Meet me at the lane leading to Judge Bachman's farm. Tiller and Bullock are both together in Bullock's car."

"I'll be there in five minutes with backup" Cho responded, hitting the gas to meet up with his partner.

Lisbon got out of her car and opened the hood of Tiller's car. Reaching in, she pulled the fuel pump and disabled it, then disconnected the battery. If Tiller came back, he wouldn't be going anywhere.

(The Farm)

The moon was just a scant sliver in the sky, leaving the countryside in almost complete darkness. Robert lived in a small house on the edge of the Judge's property and upon receiving the phone call from his boss, he raced over to the Farm in the large truck as per instructions. The Judge had never called him back to work like this in the past, and he only ever needed to use the large truck when it was time to ship out his crop of pecans to buyers. What the hell was going on? Robert put on his high beams and made his way to the front of the house, eager to see what the Judge needed from him.

Bachman was waiting for Robert, armed with a rifle when he pulled up, with Bullet pacing back and forth with nervous tension.

"Sir? What can I do for you?" Robert asked as he stepped down from the truck cab.

"You go and wake up those boys in the bunkhouse and put them on the chain, then get them into the truck pronto! I want them gone, hidden where no man can find them until further notice, understand?" the Judge barked.

Robert didn't understand, but he agreed and ran over to the bunkhouse with the length of chain in his hands. He banged on the door, screaming for everyone to wake up and get up. Bullet ran around in confused excitement. Inside, the men who were still awake were alarmed. What did that asshole want with them at this time of the night? Surely he wasn't going to force them to work all night?

"Get up, now, and get out here!" Robert yelled, pounding on the door.

Inside the wooden bunkhouse, Jane was almost asleep, finally giving in to his exhaustion. He had been awake for almost two days now and needed to build up his strength again for another hard day tomorrow. The banging on the door and the sound of someone screaming at the men woke him, leaving him confused and unsure for the moment just where he was. Then it all came rushing back. The man screaming on the other side of the door was Judge Bachman's overseer, Robert. What the hell did he want this late at night?

Bed by bed the men were roused. Jane sat up and scrubbed his face with his hands. There was no way he could stay in bed if everyone else obeyed Robert's demands, so he stood up and joined the other prisoners until they were all standing in formation.

"We're up and in line" the first man called out to Robert.

A key slipped into the lock on the chain securing the door. Robert called out to the men to come outside, while he stood with his rifle aimed at the concerned prisoners. Bullet was beside him, and for the first time, the Judge was also there, armed with his own rifle and a large flashlight. It was so dark out he didn't dare take the risk that the men would overpower Robert and run off.

"You boys line up real quick and get those chains on and nobody will get hurt!" Bachman told the prisoners. Jane looked around the yard to see if there was a fire or other emergency that required the men to be moved. There was nothing as far as he could see. Robert moved quickly down the line attaching the chain to their ankle rings and then he ordered the men to get moving. As the Judge walked beside the chain gang with his gun aimed at them, Robert ran ahead and got into the truck, driving it over to the bunkhouse to speed things up.

As soon as he stopped, he pulled open the back doors of the truck and ordered the men to climb up and into the back, pushing and shoving them to get them moving more quickly. Jane was near the end of the line when he saw a car driving quickly up the lane. Bullock was behind the wheel with Tiller in the passenger seat. Both men looked terrified. Good. Scared men do stupid things and right about now they looked scared shitless.

Judge Bachman began walking back to the house, his flashlight illuminating the way. Behind him, Robert was getting rough with the men to make them move even faster. A man in front of Jane was slow, needing help to get up into the back of the truck. Jane had to wait to move forward.

"What you waiting for? Get up there!" Robert yelled at Jane, punching him in the kidneys with his rifle butt. Jane fell down and gasped for air, reeling from the painful blow. Before Robert could inflict more pain on the new man, Mike grabbed Jane around his waist and helped him up and into the back of the truck. Robert closed the truck doors and ran around to the cab to drive the men away into the night.

"Call me when you've got them boys well and truly hidden" Bachman yelled at Robert.

"Yessir!"

The truck roared to life and drove off into the black night, heading away from the main road and into the endless country behind the Farm.

Bullock brought his car up the house and parked, afraid to get out of the car and face the Judge. Tiller got out and took a brown wrapped package out of his jacket. Bachman walked over to Tiller, his anger about this situation abundantly clear.

"What the hell kind of trouble are you in?" Bachman groused at Tiller. "What's all this about arresting a Federal Agent?"

"It's nothing. My brother Frank got himself arrested but I'll get it taken care of. Frank doesn't know anything about Agent Jane and your operation out here."

"You make sure you fix this or else you will find yourself on my chain gang Billy!" Bachman warned him.

"Yessir, I'll handle it! But first, I promised to bring you your money" Tiller said, handing the package over to the old man. As the Judge took the envelope of money and opened it to count the bills, Lisbon, Cho and the third FBI Agent, John Carson, roared up the laneway, blue and red flashing lights announcing their arrival.

The Judge cursed the arrival of the police and quickly wrapped the money up again, putting it into a pocket inside his jacket. Tiller tried to run back to Bullock's car but was blocked by Agent Carson's vehicle. Lisbon parked in front of Bullock's car and Cho slammed on the brakes of his vehicle beside the rattled Judge. All three Agents announced themselves, their badges held high. Cho advanced on Judge Bachman and warned him to drop his rifle.

"I will do no such thing young man. This is my property and I have every right to protect it" the old man said, holding tight to his weapon. "This is Texas. The law is on my side."

"Your property is in no danger from us, but you must stand down and drop your weapon, NOW!" Cho shouted, while Lisbon walked over to Tiller.

"Billy Tiller, you are under arrest for the illegal arrest and kidnapping of Patrick Jane, a Federal employee. Turn around and put your hands behind your back!"

Tiller looked at the Judge for help, but the old man was indifferent to his problems. Bullock was dragged out of his car and was now being put into handcuffs by Agent Carson.

"Fred Bullock, you are under arrest for the illegal arrest and kidnapping of Patrick Jane" the Agent informed him.

Lisbon grabbed Tiller and wrestled him into handcuffs, getting very little resistance from the startled man. He silently cursed himself for not having his gun with him.

"Judge Bachman, drop the gun, you don't want to do this" Cho told the old man, who watched Tiller and Bachman being led over to the cars Lisbon and Agent Carson had arrived in. Seeing that it was a losing battle, he dropped his gun and lifted his hands. Upstairs in her bedroom, Irma watched the whole scene play out and cried with joy when the old man submitted to the stern Asian cop. She banged on her window for help, crying and screaming for attention. Lisbon looked up and saw the woman at the window, and when she had Tiller secured in a car under the watchful eye of Agent Carson, she ran over to the house and up the stairs. Finding the bedroom door locked, she ran back outside to confront Bachman.

"Give me the keys to that woman's room. Do it!"

Bachman smiled gamely at her and reached into his pocket slowly while Cho held him at gunpoint.

"Easy - two fingers" Cho instructed him.

Bachman produced the key and passed it to Lisbon. She waited, with her gun on Judge Bachman while Cho put him into handcuffs.

Bachman seemed amused by the whole situation. "Don't you believe a thing that woman says. She is mentally unbalanced. I take good care of her but she lives in a fantasy world."

"I'll be the judge of that" Lisbon said, keeping her gun levelled at the old man.

"Now how's about you tell me what all this is about young man" the Judge said to Cho as Cho called for backup.

"Sit!" Cho barked at the old man, pointing at the wooden steps leading to the porch.

"If I sit, I may not be able to get back up" Bachman laughed, not moving an inch.

"Not my problem, now sit down and don't move again" Cho ordered him.

Bachman glowered with rage, not used to taking orders from anyone. To be ordered to sit on the damp steps like a toddler insulted him to the core, which was Cho's plan. As Cho watched, the old man slowly lowered himself until he let himself drop uncomfortably onto the step.

"I will be speaking with your superiors" the Judge warned Cho.

"Yes you will, in Austin, in an interrogation room" he agreed. The Judge wisely stopped talking.

Lisbon ran back up the long staircase and quickly unlocked the bedroom door, only to be swaddled in a hug by Irma, who fell into her arms weeping with relief. It was the first time she had felt free in more than a year.

"It's alright Ma'am, you're safe with me" Lisbon said, not sure what part Irma had to play in all of this.

"My son! He took my son!' Irma gasped between sobs.

"Who took your son? The Judge?" Lisbon asked.

"He took my son and all the other men. They've been prisoners here for a long time" Irma tried to explain between her tears of relief.

"Why was your son a prisoner?"

"Those policemen, they arrested Mike on a false charge of drug possession and trafficking, and they sent him here to work on the chain gang!"

Lisbon was walking down the stairs with Irma but stopped mid-flight when she heard the words chain gang.

"What is your name?"

"Irma, Irma Costigan."

"Irma, are you telling me that Judge Bachman is running a private prison here, putting his prisoners on a chain gang?" Lisbson asked, disbelieving her ears.

"Yes Ma'am, they work on the farm as slaves, doing whatever he tells them to do. They are slaves, locked together with chains!"

"Come with me" Lisbon said grimly, her arm around Irma's shoulders.

When Irma came out onto the porch she saw the Judge sitting on his backside on the porch step, his hands cuffed behind his back. A year's worth of rage arose in her heart and she walked over to him, stopping inches away from him under the watchful eye of Cho and Lisbon.

"Tell me where my son is!" she screamed at him.

"Who?" the old man smirked, not even looking at her.

"My son! Your prisoner! You give me back my son!" she screamed, leaning in to the man to strike him with her fists.

Cho stepped up and grabbed her, pulling her away before she did something she would regret.

"We'll find your son Ma'am" he said quietly, nodding at Lisbon to take the woman to a quiet place to wait for backup. He'd find out what she was talking about shortly.

Many acres away, on a slim road carved out of endless fields, Robert drove his truck towards an uncertain destination. The Judge wanted the men gone, impossible to find. Did he want them dead? The men in the back of the truck were being jostled around like loose packages, chained together and hurting from the bruising ride. Jane sat slumped over in a corner, his midsection aching from the rifle blow. If he had not been attached to the other men he would jump out of the truck and take his chances on the fall. He needed to unlock the chain. He called Mike over.

"Tell the men to look everywhere for a piece of wire, doesn't matter how long, I just need wire, now!" Jane told him.

Mike didn't know what Jane was up to but who was he to argue at this point?

"Everybody, look for wire, any wire, a long piece or a scrap, we need wire right now!" Mike yelled to the men around him.

The men were surprised to be asked to look for something while their lives were in danger, but Mike was a good guy, maybe he had a good reason, so they all started to check their surroundings in the dim light. Fingers brushed against the walls and the floor of the truck, around the trim and edges, under the dirt and rubble. Jane waited painfully, leaning up against the shaking wall, unsure if such a specific thing would be found in this pecan truck.

"Will this do?" a voice called out from the front of the truck. A man who had entered the truck first held up a length of very bent wire, about 5 inches long. Mike told the prisoners to pass it down to him, and then he handed it to Jane.

"What are you going to do with that?" he asked.

"I'm going to get us out of here" Jane mumbled, straightening up to work at the lock on the chain going through his ankle ring. The jostling truck made the delicate work very difficult, but he was determined to escape. He bent the wire into the correct shape and inserted it into the lock, twisting and turning it, trying to find the tumblers inside the small device. Slowly all of the men began to watch him with rapt attention, praying he knew what he was doing. After a few minutes, a tiny click sounded and Jane pulled the lock open, releasing the chain from his ankle ring. He slipped the ring off and was now truly free. Next he made his way through the crowd of men and found the first man who had entered the truck. The other end of the chain was secured to his ankle ring.

Jane squatted down and began working at that lock, this time knowing exactly how to get it open. It only took a minute, and again, the chain was freed. Now the men pulled the length of chain away from their ankle rings and were able to move freely. Slowly the men pulled the rings off their ankles and threw them into a pile of the floor of the truck.

"Thank you" Mike said, slapping Jane on the shoulder. "Now what?"

"Now we get the hell out of here" Jane said, making his way to the back of the truck again, near the door.

"As soon as the truck slows down, even a bit, we jump. Either you come with me, or you stay to find out what Robert is planning to do with us, but I'm not going to wait and find out."

A murmur rippled through the men and soon all faces turned to Jane.

"We all want to jump" Mike assured him.

"Good. Get ready. As soon as Robert finds out we're gone he'll set the dog on our trail, so we have to move fast" Jane warned them.

The mention of Bullet caused some of the men to reconsider escaping, but the lure of freedom outweighed their fear of the dog.

Robert was following an old farming road, long forgotten since the new highway was run through Stanley. If he followed it long enough, it led to a side road that went down to a canyon. If he could secure the men down there, it would take a miracle for them to be found. He had to pay close attention now, making sure he didn't drive past the side road that he needed, so he began to slow down, Bullet eagerly leaning his head against the window. He loved going for rides in the car or truck. As Robert began to count the side roads, the truck got slower and slower. The sideroad had to be just ahead.

Jane felt the truck change gears as it slowed. He waved the men over and got them ready.

"He's going to turn, it's now or never. Once I open the door, it's up to you, but I'm getting out of here!"

He paused for a moment, then felt the gear go down again, so he took his chance and pushed open the doors, revealing the vast fields falling behind the truck. He gathered up his courage and prayed he didn't break a leg, then...jumped.

He fell to earth much quicker than he anticipated and hit hard, rolling as best he could, feeling every rock and tree stump as he collided with the ground. He felt something snap in his arm but he was too busy rolling to think too much about it. Behind him he could hear the other men hitting the ground and groaning with the pain of impact. When he finally stopped rolling and came to a rest, he sat up, checking to see if any body parts had been seriously damaged. Something was wrong with his left arm, a broken bone he feared, but for now his adrenaline was pumping through his veins and the pain had not yet registered in his brain. He got up on wobbly legs and looked to see how many men had jumped.

They all did. One or two were having a hard time getting up, injured in some way that made standing difficult. He jogged over and helped the first man up, setting him on his feet.

"You alright? Can you run?"

The man nodded, clearly in pain.

Mike helped the other injured man up - it was Bull. Bull had a large gash across his forehead and seemed stunned.

"Come on Bull, you're gonna be just fine. Let's get going before Robert knows we're sittin' down to dinner!" Mike laughed.

Bull smiled through his pain and began to jog, and when he passed Jane, he slowed down to speak.

"Thanks man."

""My pleasure Bull. Let's go!"

Jane and the rest of the gang started to jog in the direction leading away from Robert's truck. They had no idea how much time they had before Robert discovered they had escaped, but they had to try to find someone to help them.

(The Farm)

The front yard of the Farm was swarming with Police cruisers, from Stanley and neighbouring Delmont County. Sheriff Jolliet had been shocked to learn of the corrupt officers in his Station and had convinced the FBI Agents that he personally wanted to see his Officers brought to justice. Bullock and Tiller sat in separate cruisers, in handcuffs and leg irons, while Judge Bachman sat in another, equally restrained. Lisbon and Cho were interviewing Irma, getting a better picture of what had been going on at the Farm for years. It soon became apparent that rape and assault would also be added to the long list of charges against Judge Emmett P. Bachman.

When Cho showed Irma a photo of Jane, she recognized him as the newest prisoner. She explained how she had watched the Judge and Robert load the prisoners into the large truck in chains, and then they were gone.

"Do you know where Robert took them?" Lisbon asked her.

"No, no idea. They just went over there" Irma said, pointing to the back of the property. "I don't know what's out there, but Robert knows this part of Texas very well. He would know where to take them and hide them so no one can find them."

"We'll find them Irma. We'll get them back" Cho assured her.

Cho conferred with Sheriff Jolliet, who was deeply embarrassed and ashamed of his officers.

"I need you to take Bullock, Tiller and Judge Bachman and put them in jail, but not in the same lockup. We need them all to be kept separate until we find Jane and the other men, then we'll transport them to Austin. Can you do that for me?"

"Yessir, consider it done." The Sheriff got on his radio and made the necessary arrangements, freeing Cho and Lisbon and their other Agents to search for the prisoners.

Cho got on the phone and called Abbott.

"Sir, I'm requesting a helicopter to fly over Judge Bachman's property. The truck is out there somewhere and it's going to take us a long time to find it ourselves."

"No problem. I'll get a chopper out to the Farm immediately. Keep me in the loop Cho, and bring Jane home in one piece" Abbott said.

"That's the plan Sir" Cho agreed.

As the contingent of police cruisers drove away with Bullock, Tiller and the Judge, Cho got out a map of the county and examined the land that the Farm sat on. The area was huge, even by Texas standards. It contained cultivated fields, orchards, a large pond, acres of wilderness, a deep canyon and far off near the edge of the property, a series of cliffs overlooking a valley. Where would Robert take the men in a hurry? They needed that chopper!

Miles away, Robert bounced along a rough landscape, unsuitable for any vehicle except a Range Rover or a heavy truck. He knew his destination was close as the rocky outcroppings were becoming more and more numerous. Eventually he could drive no further. His truck faced a steep drop off and below lay the rock strewn canyon floor. He had once hiked down there, following a natural stone path that was just a very slim outcropping of rocks. When he reached the bottom, he discovered a cave of sorts, the size of a school classroom. It would be large enough for all of the men to be hidden, chained up to a large boulder, until it was safe to bring them back to the bunkhouse.

He got out of the truck and let Bullet out of the passenger seat. The dog went wild with the scents of wild animals, and would have taken off running after the delicious trail of wild rabbits if Robert had not kept him on a short leash. Bullet whimpered in disappointment.

Robert grabbed his rifle and walked around to the back of the truck and stopped dead in his tracks. The back doors were wide open, and the truck was empty save for a pile of chains. Swivelling around to look for the men as if they would be standing there waiting to be found, he cursed them out. How the fuck did they get out of their chains? He fumbled in his pocket for his phone and dialed the Judge, afraid to tell him his men escaped, but afraid to keep it a secret from him as well.

The phone rang and rang and rang. Eventually the call went to voicemail. Why wasn't the Judge picking up his calls? What Robert didn't know was that the Judge's phone was in a plastic FBI evidence bag in the back of Cho's car. Robert stood looking out into the dark night and cursed again, damn those bastards! He didn't know what to do. Drive back and hope to find the men? They could be scattered all over the countryside by now. He had to find all of them. Sighing with frustration, he led Bullet up into the back of the truck and had him sniff the chains and the whole area where the men had been sitting.

Robert then walked Bullet back to the cab of the truck and got in. When he had turned the truck around, he let Bullet out and gave him the command he'd been waiting for: Seek Boy!

Bullet took off running back towards the direction they had just come from, but since the men had jumped out so long before, here there was no trail to follow, and until Bullet found a bit of their scent, he was running blindly through the night, distracted by the smells of mice, rabbits and deer. Robert followed behind the dog in the truck until Bullet jogged off course and headed out into a field. Robert had to believe he had caught the scent of the men, so he followed, traversing land that made driving almost impossible. Ahead of him, Bullet still had not caught the scent of the men but he did know a deer was straight ahead of him and he ran like the wind to catch up with it. Fortunately for the deer, he could easily outrun a bloodhound. When the trail grew cold, Bullet wandered aimlessly around, distracted, unsure where to go next. He ran for the joy of running, zigzagging through the cool evening, enjoying himself for the first time in his boring life on the farm.

Behind him, Robert had given up the chase, afraid he'd break an axle on his lumbering truck and then what would he do out there, alone, without a way back to the Farm? Turning his truck back to an easier track, he gave up hope of finding Bullet tonight and kept on searching for the men by himself. Ahead of him by a half mile, Jane and a few of the slower, injured escapees were still running, hoping to see a house or business with a light on where they could call for help, but it was just acres of rough scrubby land, undeveloped and wild. It was getting harder to keep up the pace, as all of the men were tired and underfed. Jane especially had not had a decent meal for well over 24 hours, and his throat was parched from thirst. The other men were stronger from working on the chain gang for so long, but they too would soon be unable to keep up the pace. Mike kept close to Jane, since he had set them free. He would stay close by him in case he fell behind. Eventually the groups of escapees became more and more scattered, until the fastest and strongest were far ahead, another group were in a small pack in the middle, and lastly came Jane, Mike and another man, Sam, who was having a hard time running with an injured knee.

By now Jane's arm was screaming with the pain of a broken bone. With every step his arm was jolted, the bone loose and soft tissues swelling. He wanted to sit and rest more than anything, but he knew he dared not stop. Every now and then he looked over his shoulder to see if Robert was barrelling up the old farm track, searching for his missing prisoners. So far, they had not been discovered, but it was just a matter of time before Robert caught up to them. After jogging another long painful stretch of road, Jane finally risked stopping to put his hands on his thighs, bent over to catch his breath, and then he looked behind again. His time had run out. In the distance, he saw headlights coming over a rise in the field. It had to be Robert, coming back to collect his prisoners. Jane flagged down Mike and Sam and pointed, too winded to speak, and indicated they needed to take cover.

Mike understood and quickly changed direction, waving Jane and the third man to follow him. They ran into a thick copse of bushes and cacti, dodging the sharp spikes on the low growing plants. They were about 50 feet away, crouching low, when Robert's truck roared past them, leaving a curtain of dust behind. They remained out of sight until the truck was just a set of tail lights in the distance. Would the other escaped prisoners also take cover in time?

Jane sat down cradling his arm, panting and spitting dust out of his mouth, while Mike lay on his back, staring up at the night sky. Sam lay on his side, his injured knee swelling ever larger by the minute. For now, they were out of danger, but with the dawn, their chances of being caught were much greater. As they caught their breath, a rustling in the vegetation around them caused alarm. Jane stood up, nerves on edge. It could be a snake, or maybe another person the Judge had sent out to find his prisoners. Nobody moved, but the noise got closer and closer, until the bushes parted and Bullet sprang into the clearing, as shocked to see the men as they were to see him.

Bullet began to bay, his voice a warning to the men, but Jane spoke soothingly to him, cooing his name, stepping closer bit by bit. Bullet watched with wary eyes, but started to sniff the air around this human. Jane stepped a bit closer, speaking softly to Bullet, telling him what a good boy he was. Bullet hesitated, then stepped forward, cautiously checking out this person. Jane carefully raised his hand and let Bullet sniff the back of it, keeping his fingers safely tucked into his palm. Bullet remembered that smell, it was the smell of the nice man who fed him sandwiches and tickled him on the head. As Jane watched, Bullet dropped his alert posturing and began to wag his tail.

"There's a good boy, good boy Bullet. Do you like that, huh, isn't that nice?"Jane said, gently tickling the huge hound's head as the love starved dog relaxed even more.

As Jane spoke softly to Bullet he encouraged Sam and Mike to pet the dog as well, and let him know they were no threat. Bullet had never been shown so much love and he couldn't get enough. When the men got up to walk, he came along with them, keeping close to them, his head swinging around for more tickles as they walked. With Robert gone and Bullet no longer a threat, Sam, Jane and Mike could just focus on getting to safety.


	16. Blinded by the Light

Getting close to the end, but not just yet!

Southern Charm

Chapter 16

Blinded by the Light

Far overhead, a police helicopter scanned the fields behind the Judge's manor house. A large spotlight turned night into day as the men aboard looked for Robert's truck. On the ground, a group of former prisoners were starting to slow down as fatigue dogged their escape attempt. Soon they were joined by the second group of prisoners, and the whole group tried to keep moving forward towards what they hoped would be a safe haven. The sound of a heavy engine behind them signalled Robert's imminent arrival in the truck. As word of his approach ran through the men, they began to scatter wildly into the brush, trying to hide from his headlights.

Unfortunately for the slowest of the runners, they were suddenly illuminated by the truck's bright high beams and Robert had them at last. Even though they kept running, they were no match for the speed of his truck and he ran them to ground.

Robert jammed on the brakes and leapt out of the cabin of the truck, his gun aimed at the exhausted stragglers. They were too defeated to try to fight him off, and surely one or more of them would end up being shot in the process, so they stood and waited for the inevitable to happen.

"Into the truck, now!" he barked, shoving them towards the open back door and the waiting chains. They obeyed, and slowly clambered back into the truck. Once aboard, Robert ordered them to put their ankle rings back on and threaded the chain through the loops to once again imprison them.

"Where are the others?" Robert screamed at his prisoners.

They shrugged with indifference.

"Tell me or I shoot!" Robert yelled, aiming his gun at the first man he saw.

"They're gone, all of them!" the prisoner said, pointing out into the dark night. "We couldn't keep up so they left us behind" he lied, knowing his fellow escapees were running ahead in a last ditch attempt to evade Robert. .

Robert turned and gazed out into the vast countryside. The men could be miles away or 25 feet away and he'd never know it. He chose to believe the men were just ahead of him, so he slammed the doors shut and ran back to the cab of the truck, once again in pursuit of his quarry. He gunned the engine and spun his tires in the loose dirt, cutting a trench in the narrow path. When his truck became stuck, he screamed in frustration. Grabbing his rifle once again, he ordered the men to jump out of the truck and push with all their might, to get the heavy truck back onto solid ground. The men worked slowly, badly, not keen on helping Robert get away to find and recapture the few lucky men who were still on the run. They were sabotaging him, and after delaying as long as possible, the men shoved the truck out of the groove onto solid ground. As soon as his truck was able to proceed, Robert once again forced the men into the back of the pecan truck. Finally Robert was on his way, his tail lights disappearing into the dark countryside.

(The Farm)

Cho and Lisbon were driving into the unknown in a desperate attempt to find the men Robert had taken. With no real clues to follow, they stayed on what appeared to be an old road, noting that it looked as if someone had recently driven over the sandy terrain. Above them the chopper hovered, its spotlight cutting wide swaths of brilliant light into the open fields and canyons.

"Any sign of movement ahead?" Lisbon asked the police officer aboard the helicopter.

"Nothing yet, we'll keep searching. It's a big area to cover" he added.

"Call us the minute you see anything" Lisbon reminded him.

Cho kept his eyes on the rough road ahead while Lisbon looked out her side window, praying to catch sight of a man, any man, at this point.

Robert was driving much too fast for the road conditions, but he was determined to round up every last prisoner and hide them in the canyon. He bounced along, straining his tires on the rocky lane. Rounding a bend in the lane, he saw a group of men scatter in front of his truck, caught in the headlights. He stepped on the gas and shot ahead, catching up to the leading group of escapees as they attempted to find cover. In his haste he almost ran over two of the men, who dove out of the way of the advancing truck just in time, but they fell and rolled in the prickly underbrush, getting caught on cacti and nettles.

Robert stopped the truck and ran towards the men, who put their hands up in surrender. Waving his rifle at them he shouted into the darkness.

"Come out now. Come out or I shoot these men where they stand!"

The other prisoners who had managed to run and hide from Robert were now faced with a dilemma. If they stayed hidden, he just might shoot their friends. If they came out into the light of his truck lights, what would he do to them?

"I'm gonna count to three. Come out or I start shooting!" Robert yelled, grabbing one of the men and putting his rifle against his back.

When he was met with silence, he yelled "One!"

Sweat poured off the prisoner's face, the force of the rifle painful between his shoulder blades.

"Two!"

Robert didn't want to shoot the men, he needed to account for all of them, but this was the only leverage he had. Just as he was about to scream "Three", a man appeared out of the shrubs, hands held high over his head. Gradually more men came forward, the headlights of the truck blinding them. When all of the men finally appeared, Robert forced them to walk towards the truck at gunpoint. Once again he shoved them into the truck and chained them to their fellow escapees, satisfied that he would now find the final three missing men.

"Where are they?" he shouted at the cowering group. "I want someone to tell me or so help me God I will shoot!"

No one wanted to betray Mike, Sam or the new guy, Jane, but when Robert put the rifle up to Bull's chest, they had to speak.

"They're back there" a small man said, pointing back to where Robert had just come from. "They couldn't keep up, so we left them behind."

"Is that true?" Robert shouted, not sure anymore who to believe.

"It's true" Bull said. "We ran ahead and they're back there somewhere. Sam hurt his knee and the new guy has a broken arm. Shouldn't be hard to find them now" he said sadly.

Robert looked at Bull and guessed that he was telling the truth.

"Ok then boys and girls, it's time to pick up the stragglers and resume our little party!" Robert announced, sure that this time he would find the last 3 prisoners.

He turned the truck around and raced back towards the 3 men who up until now, believed they were finally safe. Just to be sure he didn't give himself away this time, he cut his high beams down to his parking lights and proceeded carefully. It was just a matter of time before Jane, Sam and Mike would be back on the chain gang.

(Stanley Texas)

Sheriff Jolliet was disgusted with Bullock and Tiller. He had been so foolish to believe his Police force followed the same set of ethics and rules that he believed in so completely. He arranged for Bullock to be held in one of his cells, Tiller would be transported to a holding cell in Delmont County, and Judge Bachman would go to a holding cell in the basement of the local courthouse, the same courthouse where he so recently sat in judgement over other men. It seemed fitting to humiliate the man that way, Jolliet decided. Bachman and Tiller's cars were taken into police custody and thoroughly searched, as were their homes. Bachman's home and the bunkhouse were taken apart looking for incriminating evidence of his wrongdoings. Clearly the Judge never expected his criminal activity to be discovered, and by the time the police left the Farm, they had bags full of evidence pointing to the Judge's guilt.

Lisbon grew increasingly frustrated that they couldn't find Robert, his truck or any sign of the men he had once again kidnapped. Where could they have gone at such short notice? The track Cho drove on was getting progressively smaller and rougher, so he had to slow down a bit to make sure he didn't pop a flat tire and end his pursuit. Miles ahead, Robert sped down the same dirt track looking for the last 3 prisoners. As he came around a bend in the road, his parking lights illuminated the three men he had been searching for. There, resting under a tree, lay Jane and Sam, while Mike stood guard with Bullet. As the truck screeched to a halt Mike stood up, knowing the end had come. Bullet stayed close to his newest friends, unhappy to see Robert reappear.

"What the fuck?" Robert cussed, wondering how on earth Bullet had befriended the men. Mike shouted to Jane to get up and run, while pulling Sam to his feet. Pain was now hobbling both men. Jane needed morphine to kill the excruciating pain of a broken arm that sent shards electricity up his arm and into his shoulder with every tiny movement. His gut also was sending signals to Jane's brain that all was not well. Sam's knee was huge and hot, swollen tight under his cotton jeans. Neither man could run far. As Robert jumped out of the truck's cab, only Mike was capable of running into the brush, but he wouldn't abandon his friends, not now.

"Hands up!" Robert screamed, waving his rifle around like a gangster. "What did you do to my dog?" he yelled, grabbing Bullet by the collar and dragging him away from Jane. Bullet didn't like this one bit and growled at Robert, knowing now what a cruel man her owner was.

"On your feet and get the hell into the truck. Move it!" he shouted, jamming his rifle into Jane's sore midsection. No one spoke. They were too tired, too defeated to argue. Jane had given it his best shot but he hadn't managed to get Sam and Mike to safely. And now, Robert was taking them even farther away into the night.

The men in the back of the truck helped to lift Sam into the opening, then made room for Mike and Jane. Robert held his gun on the men while they put the last 3 men back on the length of chain. Robert shut the back door and found a tree branch. He slid it through the handles of the doors and effectively locked the door to prevent another escape. Now he got back behind the steering wheel, more determined than ever to get to the canyon and hide the men away from prying eyes until the Judge gave him the all clear signal.

Overhead, the men in the chopper scanned the ground, going as slowly as they dared to catch sight of either a truck or a group of men moving through the rough terrain. So far they had only stirred up a family of scared deer, who bolted out of the underbrush and ran wildly down an old lane. 20 miles ahead, Robert was making good time getting back to his original destination. Jane lay slumped against a corner wall, his eyes closed, trying to use biofeedback to control the pain a broken arm screamed with every heartbeat. The rest of the men had fallen into a sullen silence, their attempt to run to freedom a brief, exhilarating adventure, but now they had run out of hope. Whatever lay ahead, it couldn't be good.

Robert started to count the side roads again, coming up on the turn that he had made earlier in the evening. Slowing to a crawl, he saw a break in the brush and knew he had found the right turn-off. Scanning the land in front of his truck, he turned the steering wheel and left the old laneway and entered a raw landscape of cacti, bushy trees and tumbleweeds. He crept along slowly, mindful of the many rocks and snares that could rip his tires to shreds. He was getting close to his destination, so he turned his headlights on again and there ahead of him lay a vast canyon, dark and deep and filled with creatures unwelcome in the cities and towns surrounding the Farm.

The truck stopped and the lights went out, leaving Robert in almost total darkness. Overhead, a Police helicopter flew ever nearer, with the pilot unaware how close he was to his intended target. Robert opened up the back doors and ordered the men to get out of the truck as fast as possible. Bullet sat and watched the men appear again, sniffing them to find the man who spoke so kindly to him and showed him some love. As Jane was helped out of the back of the vehicle, Bullet got up and licked his hand, bumping his head into Jane's leg, begging for affection, until Robert scolded him and yanked him back by his leash and put him back into the truck's cab.

"Walk!" Robert ordered the men, pointing the way to a slim strip of land that cut through the brush. The prisoners were attached to the length of chain so the progress was slow. When everyone had reached the edge of the precipice, he gave instructions to his prisoners.

"Get over the edge, there's a narrow path. If you don't fall off, it leads to the floor of the canyon. Anyone falls, you all fall!"

The men looked down into the pitch black depth of the void before them, the path appearing frighteningly slim before it dropped precipitously downward towards the dark canyon "Keep walking until you get to the bottom. When you get there, go into the cave and stay there until I say you can come out. I'll be watching you" he warned the men.

Not one of them argued or attempted to flee. They had no more gas left in their tanks to fight back. As the men began the descent, they held onto rocky face of the wall in front of them, their ankles hobbled by the chain running from the front of the line to the last man. If someone fell, they'd all fall. Robert stayed behind them with his gun aimed at the group. The pace was painfully slow, but as far as Robert understood, he had all night to make the men disappear.

Far behind Robert, Cho and Lisbon could see nothing except mile after mile of rough country, with no sign that anyone had passed by recently.

"Are we even going in the right direction?" Lisbon asked Cho, concerned that they were losing precious time if they were going the wrong way.

"Don't know, but we have to try. Call Abbot and tell him we want a chopper up there with infrared scanners to pick up body heat. We can miss an entire group of people otherwise."

"Good idea, two choppers are better than one" Lisbon agreed, dialing Dennis immediately. He agreed to contact the nearest air rescue unit located 20 miles away to send one of their choppers up to Stanley with infrared capabilities. For now, they had to keep looking for Jane the old fashioned way.

Bull led the way down the hillside, his size a benefit to the man behind him. The injured man Sam and Jane moved slowly, garnering sharp criticism from Robert, who wanted the men to keep up the pace with Bull. Mike was making his way forward when he heard what sounded like a helicopter overhead. He stopped moving and looked up. There, like a large blazing star, a chopper scanned the ground with a powerful beam of light. They would be saved! He pointed and called out to the other men to wave, scream, shout, until Robert fired a bullet into the ground to stop them.

"Get down, get down and don't move, or I swear I'll shoot you where you stand" he ordered them, scared of being found by the rapidly approaching police chopper overhead.

The men struggled to lower themselves to the path, clinging to the rock wall, praying to be seen, afraid of falling to the canyon below. Robert lay against the rocky wall and held his breath as a beam of light flowed over the canyon floor and up the wall not 20 feet away from them. No one moved, every man hoping for the best outcome for himself. When the chopper moved on, scanning land up ahead and away from the group, Robert ordered them to keep moving. They had not been seen.

Sam was a few men ahead of Jane. His knee was unstable and hard to move, so he stumbled and fell, sliding several yards down the hill grasping at scrub brush to break his fall. Around him, several of the other men began to slip away as well. The human centipede scrabbled and clawed at the rocky landscape to find purchase and stop its inevitable fall to the pit below. At last the line of men came to a stop. Sam dug his feet into the hard packed earth, painfully twisting his already damaged knee.

"Get up and get back in line!" Robert barked, pointing his gun at the injured man. Sam tried and failed to move back into the line creeping down the hill.

"I can't. My knee is broken I think" Sam shouted, frightened now that Robert might shoot him and press onward.

"You! Go get him and make him walk!" Robert ordered the prisoner in front of Sam. He made his way over to Sam and put his arm around his waist, supporting him as well as he could.

"Come on man, you can do it" the strong young man said to Sam, willing him to walk.

Jane watched both men struggle back towards the wall, holding onto each other for security. Eventually Sam was back in line, held up by his companion, and the line continued their descent. As Cho and Lisbon approached the canyon, the second chopper flew in and began scanning the ground, revealing families of resting deer, running terrified rabbits, treetops filled with birds that now took flight at the interruption of their peaceful sleep. The infrared scanner noted a lot of life below, but none of it human, except for two people in a car heading towards a large canyon.

The pilot kept his eye on the instrument panel and the scanner, seeing nothing of importance, until he was just about to make wide arc and go in a different direction. According to his flight information, he was flying over a canyon, and there, on the scanner, a line of moving bodies lit up the screen. He could clearly see the heat signatures of a line of men creeping down the canyon wall, with another man behind, holding up something - a gun perhaps? They also got a heat signature of a very large animal, a dog perhaps, in the cab of a truck. The pilot spoke into his headset.

"We've got signs of life. Looks like many people climbing down Rockline Canyon, possibly under duress. I think we've found your missing men!" he guessed. Below, Cho and Lisbon heard the pilot relay his information to the Police on the ground. Lisbon checked her GPS and knew they were almost right on top of the spot where Jane and the other prisoners were being forced downward.

More voices came over the line as Police and FBI coordinated their rescue plans. Cho let them know he and Lisbon were almost on scene and would take lead until backup arrived. Cho pulled his car up the edge of the rocky overhang and gazed down into the canyon. He wasn't sure he was in the exact spot where Robert had led his prisoners, so he radioed the chopper above for confirmation of his position in relation to the moving line of men.

"Move to your right, about 30 feet, then go straight down and you will find them" the voice from above instructed them.

"Cho, what's the plan?" Lisbon asked as they walked over to the designated location.

"Don't have one, other than to get to Jane and the others as quickly as possible. The guard is armed, so we need to take him out and rescue the men before anyone gets hurt."

"Why don't we spread out, about 15 feet parallel to the guard and the others? When we get even with him, we can come at him from both sides and shut him down" Lisbon suggested.

"Sounds good, let's go" Cho said, eager to get this rescue started.

Lisbon began a careful descent and Cho walked a further 15 or 20 feet and did the same, both trying to descend quietly and evenly, afraid to alert Robert to their presence. There was no path for them. The downward climb was treacherous due to the darkness and loose sandy ground. One misstep and either Cho or Lisbon would plummet into the abyss below. The farther they got down the hill, the clearer they could hear the men struggling to make their way down the canyon wall. Jane only had the use of one hand, as his left arm hung uselessly at his side. Mike held onto him as often as he could to keep him steady, especially over some of the rougher parts of the climb downward. Ahead, a man fell and cried out, catching Robert's attention.

"Get up and keep going, we're almost there!" he shouted, giving Cho and Lisbon a good idea how close they were getting to their target.

Bullet sat in the truck balefully wishing he could be outside chasing rabbits. Until he was set free, he collapsed into a fleshy lump on the bench seat and fell asleep.

The sound of a chopper overhead made everyone on the canyon wall stop and look up, even though Robert told them to keep going. No one listened to him now as a beam of light swept over the wall seeking the missing men. There was nowhere to run or hide, instead the men leaned out and started to wave frantically, hoping someone above would see them in the bright light. As the chopper passed directly overhead, the glaringly bright spotlight illuminated the wall and exposed all of the men and Robert to the Police overhead and above, on the edge of the canyon wall. A voice on a loudspeaker announced that they were to throw down any weapons they had and surrender. While the men cheered, Robert shouted at them to keep going, hoping to reach the bottom and disappear into the cave before the police could come and get them. Emboldened by the belief they were about to be freed, no one listened to Robert.

Jane looked all around, sure that Cho and Lisbon had to be close. The chopper came around in a wide arc again, shining its light over the men and Jane turned and looked upwards, towards Robert, then scanned the rock wall and saw Cho grimly traversing the rocky ledges. Where was Lisbon? He looked behind Cho then across from him, and there, she was there! He wanted to shout out that he was in the line, but he dared not give them away. Instead he bend down and grabbed a rock, then whispered to Mike to do the same thing, then the man in front of Jane got the message, and so on down the line, until all of the men had armed themselves with large rocks, which they put in their pockets until the right opportunity arrived to use them.

Eventually the lead man slowed down, pretending to question where to go next in his descent. Robert shouted at him to keep going, but the man said he couldn't hear Robert. The whole line stalled while the men looked and acted confused. Robert's enforced authority was in a shambles.

"Get ready" Jane told the men in front of him in line.

"Where should I go now?" the lead man shouted again, feigning stupidity.

Robert lost his patience and stepped farther out from the wall to make his voice heard. Taking this opportunity, Jane nodded to the men to get ready, then lobbed his rock at Robert, with a barrage of rocks quickly following, thrown by all the other men. Robert dodged the onslaught and bent down to protect himself as he was pelted with sharp rocks, pain and confusion rushing over him in equal measure. Cho and Lisbon materialized out of the dark and grasped him as he began to slide down the hillside. He never had a chance to raise his rifle in retaliation. Within minutes Robert was disarmed and in handcuffs. Cho turned on a flashlight and held up his FBI badge, announcing who he was and that everyone was now safe. A small cheer of relief went up and down the line as the exhausted men leaned against the rocky wall and waited to see what would happen next.

Cho radioed for a police chopper and held Robert at gunpoint, while Lisbon made her way down the canyon wall looking for Jane.

"Here...down here" a tired voice called out to her.

Lisbon passed Mike and found Jane clinging to the rocks, totally spent and grateful to see her lovely face.

"Jane! Are you alright?" she asked, examining his blue and black bruised face with alarm..

"I am now" he said softly.

"Where are you hurt?"

"Jaw, gut, broken arm. Hurts like hell. Got any good drugs?" he managed to smile, even though he was beyond exhausted.

"We'll get a Med-Evac chopper here and get you flown out" Lisbon told him, seeing him nod in relief.

"Good, because I can't climb back up there" Jane indicated, nodding towards the top of the hill above him, his willpower the only thing keeping him standing now. Lisbon put an arm around him, seeing how much effort it took for Jane to keep his balance on the slim ledge. As he moved Lisbon heard the clanking of a heavy chain and looked down at the men's feet. There was the proof of the Judge's cruelty. The men were still locked onto a length of chain, even during this arduous climb into the canyon!

"Jane, where's the key to unlock the chain?" Lisbon asked him quietly.

"Robert, pant's pocket. Hurry Lisbon" he replied, eyes closed.

"Cho, the key to the chain line is in Robert's pocket. Frisk him and get it. We need to set these men free before we can get them off this hill!" Lisbon shouted, eager to end this nightmare.

By now Robert was subdued, in restraints himself, and didn't try to resist as Cho frisked him for the key. Soon the most fit men scrambled back up the hill, unencumbered by chains, where they were met by more police. Officers from the Stanley Police Department took them aside to find out who they were and to see if they needed to be held by the police for past crimes. As names were entered into a laptop, it became clear that a few of the men had been declared missing for several months, most a year or two.

A few minutes later a chopper was hovering over the men as search and rescue team members rappelled down to start bringing the injured and most exhausted men up into the chopper. The rescuers secured Sam in a basket and lifted him into the hovering chopper, then they came back for Jane. He too was told to lie in the large coffin shaped basket and was firmly strapped in and hoisted up into the aircraft. Lisbon had requested permission to fly to the hospital with Jane, so she was brought up to the chopper as well, then it took off towards Bee Cave, the closest large city with excellent medical facilities outside of Austin.

Eventually all of the remaining few men were plucked off the canyon wall and either flown or driven back to the Farm, but last to go up into the chopper was Robert under armed guard. None of the police officers wanted to risk letting him climb back up the hill and perhaps attempt an escape in the dark. Robert still had no idea why he had been told to move the prisoners by Judge Bachman, and now he didn't know why he had been hunted down by helicopters, local police and the FBI. The whole sordid prison farm operation had come crashing down in a few short hours.

Aboard the chopper, a doctor carefully immobilized Jane's fractured arm and gave him a temporary pain medication that would soon wear off. After spending so long running and being jostled around with a broken arm, for Jane, the relief felt like heaven. Lisbon waited silently while the medical staff worked on Jane, but she hovered close by in the cramped chopper. Now that she could see Jane better in the harshly illuminated interior of the chopper, Lisbon could see how badly bruised Janes' entire jaw and cheek was, with the area where the rifle had hit him swollen and torn open. What else had been done to him in just 24 hours? Jane had a hard time keeping his eyes open and had no energy for small talk, so Lisbon just comforted him by holding his hand. She stared at his grossly swollen left hand, his fingers red and fat like sausages, then noticed he no longer wore his wedding ring on his finger. Had the Judge also taken that last piece of Jane's life away from him?

Far below, Cho was on the ground, co-ordinating the rescue of the prisoners and checking police databases for the names of the men now standing around him in handcuffs, just for caution's sake. The men didn't care. They were more free now than they had been in a very long time, and for the one or two who might go to jail that night, it would be far more comfortable lodgings than they had enjoyed recently. An animal handler had been called when Bullet was discovered in the truck. He was desperate to get out and sniff all these humans and bayed loudly in complaint as he was led away to a waiting ASPCA van. Gradually the mass of men diminished. Out of all of the prisoners kept at the Farm, only 3 were men who should have gone to prison for a short sentence, and by now, those sentences were up. It would be up to a Judge to decide if they could now go free, with their time considered served. All of the other men had been railroaded like Jane on false charges and needed to be released as soon as possible.

Irma waited anxiously at the Farm, waiting to hear if her son had survived the night. When MIke approached him with an urgent request, Cho was happy to oblige. As Irma sat on the front porch of the manor house, a cop nearby received a call from Cho. A moment later the cop handed the phone to Irma, who was overjoyed to find her son saying hello to her in person! He was safe, alive, unhurt and free! All of Irma's prayers had been answered.

Cho wanted to leave, but he had to wait until the men rescued at the canyon were brought back to the Farm, where they would be identified, processed and then put up for the night in a local motel. They needed to be interviewed tomorrow and given a set of clothing, since the men only had the rags they had worn on the chain gang. Each man would be an eyewitness to the atrocities carried out by Bachman and Robert. Once the FBI had all the information they needed, the prisoners would be free to go back into the world. Their days of incarceration were over.

15 minutes later the first group of men were brought into the farmyard, and Irma ran over to greet them. As they were identified and moved through the Police process, she searched the faces for her son Mike. At last, a car door opened and the young man emerged, his face a mask of relief and pure joy.

"Mom!" he cried as he scooped her up into his arms, weeping with joy.

"Mike! I can finally touch you!" Irma cried. Words got lost as both mother and son held each other, oblivious to the mayhem around them as more prisoners arrived and got checked out by medical personnel and Police interviewed them.

"I got you baby, you're safe now. You're coming home with me" Irma whispered, hugging the big man as if he was a small child.

"Where is home Mom?" he asked, as she gazed into his watery eyes with gratitude.

"I don't really know, but we'll figure it out together, OK Mike?" she laughed.

"Sounds good" he smiled.

It took over an hour, but eventually all of the men were accounted for and taken by bus to Stanley for a luxurious night's sleep in a relatively cheap motel. Irma accompanied her son, and the next day, she was determined to find a new apartment for the both of them.

The last of the officers in the farmyard approached Cho and handed him a brown manila envelope.

"We searched Bullock and Tiller's cars, only found this. Isn't this your man's name?" the cop asked Cho.

Cho looked at the envelope and saw 'Patrick Jane" scrawled on it in ball point ink. In the corner of the envelope was the logo of the Stanley Police Department, and the sub-title, 'Prisoner Personal Effects'.

Cho opened it carefully, because it was evidence, and peered inside. There he saw a man's watch, a wallet, and a gold wedding band. Jane's wedding band. This was rock solid proof that Bullock and Tiller had taken Jane into the Station and processed him as a prisoner, with his personal effects slated for the secure lockup facility. It was another brick in the wall that would soon encase the two crooked cops in legal jeopardy.

"I'll hang onto this, thanks" Cho told the cop, and held the envelope carefully, resealing it to make sure nothing was lost.


	17. Flying High

Ah the final chapter. Thanks for coming along for the ride. Thanks for all the follows and reviews and support. It is all very much appreciated.

Southern Charm

Chapter 17

Flying High

(Bee Cave Texas)

The helicopter settled down lightly on the hospital helipad and disgorged its patients and attendants. Lisbon held Jane's hand as he was whisked inside on a gurney. The temporary painkillers given to him during the flight were soon going to wear off, but nothing stronger could be given to him until it was determined if he required surgery to set his broken arm. Behind Jane, Sam was also being wheeled into the hospital, his knee distended and hot. Both men were quickly taken by elevator down to the tirage area where doctors were waiting for them. At this point, Lisbon was told she had to wait outside while Jane was examined.

Jane lay on an examining table, bone tired, but submitted to being thoroughly checked out by a young ER doctor and his nurse. Jane's old cotton clothes were removed and bagged as evidence of a crime and held until Lisbon could take custody of them. As his shirt came off, the damage from the rifle butt over Jane's midsection was revealed. A huge blooming bruise flowed like lava from the point of impact and spread across his abdomen and upwards toward his ribcage. Tender to the touch, the injury indicated the need for a scan to see if there was any internal damage. Soon Jane was pushed out of the small room and sent for x-rays on his arm, his jaw and a scan on his abdomen.

Lisbon looked at the time and realized that it had been exactly 24 hours since Jane went missing. So much had happened since then. If Mary Tiller had not innocently plugged Jane's cell phone in to charge it, Cho and Lisbon might still be in Stanley looking for their partner, and Jane would still be a prisoner on a chain gang. As she considered all this, her phone rang.

"Cho? What's happening there?"

Cho explained that all of the men had been identified and now the long process of finding out how each one came to be incarcerated on Bachman's Farm would begin. Some prisoners had talked about sudden deaths, men who had been with them that morning and were gone by suppertime.

"We're bringing in cadaver dogs to search Bachman's property."

"How could a Judge do this to people Cho? I don't get it!" Lisbon said with shock, the image of dead men lying in shallow graves a whole new horror.

"That's what we're going to find out once we get everyone to Austin for interrogation. How's Jane?"

"He's hurting. Broken arm, injured jaw and possible internal injuries. He looks like hell. I'll know more when he comes back from the X-Ray department."

"Was he able to tell you anything?"

"No, he was too out of it with pain and exhaustion to speak. I don't think we'll be able to debrief him until sometime later in the day" Lisbon said, realizing it was a whole new day now.

"Give him my best. When he can travel I'll drive home with both of you" Cho suggested.

"Sounds good, bye Cho."

Lisbon found a coffee machine and sat waiting, bored, but happy that Jane was finally safe. At last the elevator opened and Jane emerged, dozing as he lay on the gurney. He needed to get into a bed. Lisbon walked with the nurse so that she could speak to the waiting doctor. Showing her badge, she explained that she had medical authority over Jane for his care and needed answers.

"Mr. Jane is going to be fine, let's get that out of the way first" the doctor said with a smile. "However, he will need to be admitted for observation, just as a precaution. He's suffering from exhaustion and dehydration. He has a bad contusion on his jaw which will heal all by itself but there doesn't appear to be a concussion. His abdomen is badly bruised from a blow from a blunt object and we suspected his kidney could be badly injured, but it's just bruised. All it needs is time to heal with bed rest."

"And his arm?"

"He has a broken arm but fortunately it won't require surgery. An orthopedic surgeon will be in at 9 am and he can set the arm then. The good news is that we can give him some strong pain medication now to ease his discomfort."

"Can he wait that long to have his arm set?" Lisbon asked with alarm. "Is that safe?"

"Yes, it can wait. We'll immobilize it until it can be realigned by the surgeon then a temporary cast will be applied until the swelling goes down."

"And then what?" Lisbon asked, uneasy about his long wait for treatment.

"We'll watch him closely all night and in the morning, he will get his arm looked after. If all goes well and nothing negative happens with his kidney injury overnight, he can go home once his cast sets" the doctor reassured Lisbon."

"Can I sit with him?" Lisbon asked.

"Sure, but he's very tired, so don't expect much in the way of conversation" the doctor smiled.

Lisbon nodded in relief. As bad as Jane looked, he would be alright very soon. She sent Cho a text to let him know the latest. Lisbon then went into Jane's cubicle and sat beside his bed. He lay with his arm propped up on a pillow, pain etched on his face. He needed those pain meds!

"How are you doing?" Lisbon asked, touching his undamaged hand gently.

Jane opened his eyes and grimaced, but smiled anyway. He was free and back with Lisbon. He could get through this.

"A nurse is coming to give you something for the pain then you'll be much more comfortable. You don't need surgery, good news for you. You can get out of here that much quicker."

"Good. Hate hospitals" Jane mumbled, gritting his teeth in pain. "Where is that nurse?"

"She's coming. Then your arm will be set later and put into a cast to get you back to Austin. This time tomorrow you might be sleeping in your own bed" Lisbon said, trying to encourage him.

The door opened and a nurse came in with a pill, and a prescription. "This will kick in pretty quickly, and you'll feel much better Mr. Jane."

Jane nodded gratefully as he swallowed the pill and lay back against his pillow. She was right, relief began to flood through his body within minutes. By the time his arm had stopped screaming, he was drifting off to much needed sleep. For now there was nothing else Lisbon could do for him but sit and hold his blistered hand. A half hour later, a nurse came in to move Jane to a quieter room down the hall, and Lisbon was given a cot to sleep on by his bedside.

(Stanley, Texas)

It was past 2am, exactly 24 hours since Jane was arrested and kidnapped. Cho had done everything on-scene he could do personally and now he handed the investigation over to the forensic technicians, who, along with the cadaver dogs, would search for any bodies hidden by Judge Bachman. Cho wanted to join Lisbon in Bee Cave, but that would be a long drive and he needed to sleep. Jane was safe and in good hands, so Cho returned to his motel and crashed, the journey to see his friend the first thing on his agenda when he woke up.

At the Stanley Police Department, Sheriff Jolliet had processed Fred Bullock, a painful event for Jolliet as he had believed Fred had what it took to be a great officer. Sadly, his association with Tiller and the Judge had corrupted him and now he would spend years and years in prison. If convicted of kidnapping, Fred might spend the rest of his life behind bars. Now the frightened man sat in one of his own jail cells, wearing the same kind of grey shirt and pants that Jane had worn not that long ago. News of his arrest had rippled through town, and when the morning came, his fellow officers stood staring at him through his cell bars, their disgust and disappointment a heavy shame to carry.

Over in Delmont County, Billy Tiller had been defiant, obstinate and combative, making the process of fingerprinting and getting mugshots a lot more difficult than it needed to be. When he finally was locked into a cell, he could admit to himself he was in deep deep trouble. By now his wife would know he had been arrested on some very serious charges. That killed him. He did love her, and her life would be forever changed because of his actions. Before he fell into a restless sleep, the door to the holding cells opened and Sheriff Jolliet entered the room. Billy couldn't look him in the eye. Jolliet was a very good man, honest and trusting, maybe too trusting.

There followed an uneasy silence, as Sheriff Jolliet's eyes bored into Tiller. At last, he spoke.

"I've got just one question Billy" Jolliet began quietly.

Billy lifted his head and stared at his boss.

"Why? Why'd you do it?"

Billy shook his head and turned to face the wall. Honest men like Jolliet just didn't get it, the need for control, the need to do something bigger than life allowed. Billy wanted power and prestige and beyond everything, he wanted control. Putting on that uniform was the way he could forever change a man's life, in the span of a few minutes. That was the aphrodisiac that Billy craved and now it had led to a jail cell. He could never explain it, so he didn't try.

Jolliet gazed at his officer with disappointment, then left as quietly as he had come. He would waste no more time on Tiller, his other officers needed him now more than ever.

(Bee Cave Texas, Morning)

Jane had peaceful night, thanks to the powerful pain medication his nurse carefully administered during the night. When morning came, he required help to feed himself a very small breakfast, which Lisbon was happy to do. She had slept far worse than Jane, but sleep was something she could catch up on once she, Cho and Jane were back in Austin. At 9:30 am Jane was taken downstairs to meet with the orthopedic surgeon. A new set of x-rays were taken and then the painful process of pulling the bones back into place was about to begin. Even with pain meds in his system, for Jane, this was going to be brutal. Lisbon was asked to leave as it wasn't a pretty procedure to watch. Another doctor arrived to help the surgeon and Teresa stepped outside Jane's door. She sat on a chair and was anguished when she heard Jane shout out in pain as his broken bone was realigned and set into place. A nurse came in with water and the fabric to make a temporary cast. 25 minutes later, the door opened and the doctors came out to find Lisbon.

"All done. The swelling will gradually go down and then the cast will be too loose. A new lighter weight cast can be put on instead of the plaster cast and then Mr. Jane just needs to take it easy for the next 8 weeks. His doctor in Austin will tell him what to do and what to expect."

"Thank you. When can he go home?"

The doctor consulted his watch and smiled. "We'd like to keep an eye on Mr. Jane for the rest of the day, since he had so many injuries. But I think he could be on his way home by suppertime."

"He'll like that! Thanks again" Lisbon said, before she went back into his small room. Jane looked very pale, no doubt from the stressful process of having his bone rotated back into place. He appeared to be dozing now, so Lisbon stood beside his bed and spoke softly to him.

"Jane? I'll be right here until you get to your room. You're going to be fine and soon we'll go back to Austin. Jane?" she said, not sure if he could hear her. A faint squeeze of her hand let her know he had heard, he just didn't have the energy to speak.

A short time later an orderly arrived and took Jane back to his room. Lisbon trailed along, suddenly exhausted. Worry and adrenaline had kept her going to the last 24 hours but now she was crashing. She was craving sleep. Jane was resting comfortably in his room now that his arm had been repaired and was swathed in a huge cast. She settled down into a large chair by his window and let herself drift off, napping in the sunshine. Jane lay in bed watching her relaxed face, happy to have her so close by. Before long, he was dozing in the late morning sun as well, his exhaustion still weighing heavily on him. Both of them napped for a few hours before lunchtime woke them up.

The sound of a cart clattering down the hallway jolted Jane awake with a start. Casting a weary eye around his hospital room, Jane had to sort out where he was and more importantly, why he was in a hospital bed. He looked down and surveyed his body, then remembered his wild night trying to escape from Robert, twice. His broken arm was well encased in a temporary cast and was beginning to send pain signals to his brain. Before he had time to ring his buzzer for a nurse to bring another pain pill, his door opened and a doctor came in to check up on him.

"Mr. Jane, so good to see you awake! I'm Dr. Hendricks. I looked after you when the helicopter brought you in this morning" he smiled.

"Morning. Yes, thank you" Jane said.

"I'm glad to see you looking better already" the doctor said, making some notes on Jane's chart.

"I'll leave a set of instructions for you to follow once you return to Austin. Go and get your arm looked at by your doctor and he'll tell you when to come back to your local hospital to get this cast off and a lighter, fibreglass cast put on. It will be much lighter and easier to deal with."

Lisbon sat up rubbing her eyes, listening in on the conversation. It sounded like Jane might be released today after all. Jane didn't feel quite so chirpy about his situation, but all things considered, it could have been much worse.

"When can I go home, if it's just my arm that is the problem?" he asked.

The doctor consulted his ipad for the latest update on Jane and smiled.

"It seems that despite looking like you got run over by a train, you're in pretty good shape to travel. We want to keep an eye on your arm and hand today to make sure everything is settling down, but if all goes well, you can expect to be released by suppertime."

For Jane that was a very long time to wait, but if he was set free by the evening, he could be patient.

"Excellent, thank you."

"Barring any complications, you can begin physiotherapy soon after the cast comes off. I expect your arm to do very well if you take it easy and don't put any weight on it until your doctor tells you otherwise" Dr. Hendricks said.

"Good. Can't wait" Jane said with a forced smile.

Dr. Hendricks left and was replaced by a young nurse bringing in a tray of food, real food. Even though it was usually terrible, Jane was so hungry all of the food on the tray looked good to him. He wolfed down his fruit cup, his sandwich, a muffin and lousy cup of tea. For now, it tasted delicious. Lisbon stayed to help him with his meal, then left to find something to eat in the cafeteria for herself. Jane lay back, relaxed at last. Finally his stomach was full, for the first time in many many hours. When his tray was removed he tried to get comfortable, but his arm was beginning to ache enough to cause him to ring his buzzer for some pain medication.

A male nurse came in with a pill, and within minutes, Jane was floating on a cloud of relief. Ahhh, the good stuff! With no further cares to think about, he lay back and waited for Lisbon to return with a good cup of tea for him and her own lunch. For now, the cares of the world were temporarily forgotten.

In Stanley, Cho was up and conferring with Sheriff Jolliet by telephone at 8:45am, short on sleep but eager to get to Bee Cave and talk to Jane and Lisbon. Whatever needed to be done now in Stanley could be done by videoconferencing. He wanted to get going.

Lisbon found a small kitchenette and made a fresh cup of tea for Jane and a hot coffee for herself. Balancing her cafeteria food on a tray she carried all of it back to Jane's room and sat down beside his bed. Jane was sitting up, smiling at last.

"Hello" he smiled, pain free again.

"Hello yourself" Teresa grinned back. "I brought you some good tea, figured you could use some just about now" she said, shoving a large paper cup over his tray table.

"Thanks." Jane looked at his heavy left arm, realizing it was going to be an inconvenience very soon.

"I never asked. How did that happen?" Teresa asked, nodding toward his arm, still in the dark as to what transpired while Jane was held prisoner.

"That? Ahhh, jumped out of a moving truck. The takeoff was perfect, the landing, not so much" Jane smirked, staring at his sausage fingers.

"You know, you've got to stop getting yourself admitted to the hospital. This is getting repetitious" Teresa chided him, seeing as he was in fact, doing well.

"I seem to remember visiting you a time or two in the hospital young lady, so don't tell me what to do" Jane teased, reaching for his tea. Lisbon helped him lift the cup and sat back, waiting until he was ready to talk, seriously.

Jane savoured the first sip of tea as if it was the nectar of the Gods, then drank more until he put the cup down and looked at Lisbon.

"You look like hell" she said, sizing up his bruised face.

"You do know how to make a guy feel good."

"Who hit you?" Lisbon asked, pointing to his scabbed jaw.

"Robert decided I needed to work on my people skills, so he hit me with the butt of his rifle."

"God Jane! While you were chained and defenseless?"

"Yes, Robert liked his victims chained, easier to beat them that way. Since I was the new guy, I was going to be his punching bag unless I got away. He also hit my gut but at least my shirt will cover that up" Jane said, feeling the pain even while he lay against his pillows.

Lisbon stood up and examined the large dark blue and green bruise tracing across Jane's lower abdomen and upwards to his rib cage.

"We need to get photos of your injuries for the record. Why did you risk jumping out of a moving truck?"

Jane explained how Robert had ordered everyone out of bed and into the truck, with their chains back on their ankle rings. With the assistance of a small piece of wire Jane had set himself and all the other men free, but to remain free, they had to risk jumping out of the truck.

"You could have been hurt much worse" Lisbon groused. "But you did what you had to do."

"Yes, well, it didn't work. We thought we had eluded Robert but he eventually found us, made us climb down into that canyon. He was going to leave us chained in a cave down there until the Judge told him it was safe to come back up."

"Jeez...what a sadist" Lisbon muttered, marvelling at what Jane had been through. He had much more to tell, but that could wait until the official debriefing Cho would do when Jane was feeling better.

"At least I can go home by suppertime, if my arm cooperates" Jane said hopefully, sipping his tea again.

Lisbon studied his arm and hand and noticed the missing wedding ring.

"Did the doctor cut your ring off?"

Jane looked down at his arm, and his swollen fingers, remembering what had happened at the police station. So much had happened in a few short hours that he had temporarily forgotten about his ring, but now, the pain of losing it was back again. He looked at his naked finger and grew quiet.

"Tiller and Bullock took my personal effects at the Police Station. Demanded I hand over my ring. Who knows where it is now" he said bitterly.

"We'll find it Jane. Tiller has to tell us where he put it."

The mood in the room had suddenly darkened. Jane's initial happiness at seeing Lisbon by his side and the thought of going home, had evaporated with the remembrance of his lost wedding band.

"Jane, we'll get it back. Leave it to us" Teresa told him, forcing him to look at her.

"Ok, sure. Thanks" he said curtly, as his fingers traced over the spot where his ring should have been.

As he sipped his tea in silence, Teresa excused herself and called Cho.

"Lisbon, how's our patient today?" Cho asked, well on his way to Bee Cave in his rental car.

"Physically, he'll be fine. We need photos of his injuries pretty soon, and with luck he'll be discharged late this afternoon, but he's got a lot to tell us. I don't want to rush him or make him say it all twice. When will you be here?"

"Give me 40 minutes and I should be in the hospital. Tell Jane that if he's up to it, we can get his statement for the record."

"Thanks Cho, I'll let him know. Jane will be happy to see you."

"Say hi from me. See you soon."

"Bye Cho."

Lisbon stepped back into the room and found Jane standing by the window, staring out at the clogged highway below as mid-morning commuters wended their way around the sprawling city.

"Cho says 'hi'. He'll be here soon and wants to get your statement, if you think you're ready" Teresa said, coming to stand by Jane's side.

Without turning to look at her, Jane nodded. "Fine with me. I want to get out of here as soon as possible. We can talk more in the car on the way to Austin."

"How's your arm now? Painful?" Lisbon asked, trying to steer Jane away from his sadness brought on by the loss of his ring.

He roused himself and gave her a false smile. "Better. The drugs help. Speaking of which" he said, holding out a piece of paper. "This is a prescription I need to fill before we leave. Pain meds for the trip home."

"I'll take care of it. Feel like going for a walk?" she asked.

"Sure, but I need a housecoat. My pajamas are sadly lacking in style" he smirked, happy to get out of his room.

A few minutes later Lisbon appeared with a thin cotton robe and soon they were walking around the halls, killing time until Cho showed up. Along the way they passed a small coffee station, so they filled up on more coffee and tea. By the time they were settled in the room and half way through their drinks, a knock upon the door heralded Cho's arrival.

Dressed casually in jeans and a loose jacket, Cho came in carrying a large paper bag.

"How are you Jane? You look like hell" Cho smiled, patting Jane on the shoulder.

"My ego is taking a beating Cho. Apparently I look frightening" Jane groused, settling onto his bed.

"Be glad it's temporary. When this case goes to court it will be proof of your mistreatment. I'll take some photos while I'm here. When you're ready, let's talk about your arrest."

With Cho, there was no small talk, just action.

"Is Tiller talking?" Jane asked Cho. He wondered who would crack first and hurl accusations at the other men under arrest.

"Not Tiller, but Bullock is singing like a bird, with Robert not far behind. The whole program was instigated by Judge Bachman for his own sick reasons, but it also helped Tiller and Bullock look good in Sheriff Jolliet's eyes. They made lots of high value arrests and Bachman got his slave labour to build his farm. A win-win, for a while" Cho explained.

"There was a woman, a maid, being held against her will in the house" Jane began to explain, but Cho cut him off.

"She's free, and reunited with her son. A happy ending" Cho said in his typical shorthand.

"Good. Her son Mike was a big help to me on the chain gang" Jane said, remembering the young man's kindness. "He can tell you a lot about what went on at the Farm. I only saw a small amount of the suffering Bachman put his prisoners through."

"He's being deposed today. Are you ready to speak to tell me what happened to you?" Cho asked.

"Sure. Let's get it out of the way."

Cho nodded, all business, and took out his phone to record his session with Jane. Jane lay back on his bed, trying to get comfortable for the long talk ahead. Lisbon was curious about the large bag at Cho's feet. He caught her looking, trying to peek inside, so he relented and picked it up.

"Before we begin, I have your stuff Lisbon. I went to your motel and got access to your room. Your luggage is in my car, and this is yours I believe" Cho said, pulling her shoulder bag out and handing it over to her.

"Thanks Cho!"

"I also went to your motel room Jane and got your luggage and your suit. Your luggage is also in my car. Here" he said, pulling a suit and shirt out of the paper bag along with a smaller bag.

"Something to wear home and some socks and underwear" he grinned, seeing how delighted Jane was to see his beloved pin striped grey suit.

"Thanks Cho! Much appreciated!"

Cho nodded, not finished yet. "We also found your blue jeans, shirt, and shoes, the clothes you were wearing when Tiller and Bullock arrested you. We searched their homes and found your clothes stuffed into a garbage bag in a trash can beside Tiller's garage. He planned to put it out so the proof of your arrest went into the dump. We have it bagged and tagged as evidence."

"Well I'm not sure I'll want to wear those clothes again, except for the shoes, of course" said Jane seriously. "Bad Karma."

"There is one more thing. Officers searched Tiller's car at the Farm and found this" Cho said, pulling the brown manila envelope out of the paper bag. Jane's heart sped up.

"It's evidence and as such I can't really return everything to you that they confiscated, but I don't think the Judge will mind if I give you this…" Cho smiled, reaching carefully into the bag to retrieve the gold wedding band.

Jane's face broke into a broad smile as he gently took the proffered ring. Turning it in the light, he felt a huge weight lift off his heart. There was no use trying to put it back on his finger, not yet anyway, but in a few days his fingers would no longer be swollen and he could once again wear Angela's gift to him.

In a faint voice, Jane mumbled his thanks to Cho, then pulled himself together, much happier than he had been since his ordeal began.

"Ready?" Cho asked.

"Absolutely."

Cho asked Jane to stand and lift his pajama top, so Cho could take photos of the large bruise across his midsection, then he took a series of photos of his face and jaw. Lisbon kept silent but was furious at Jane's maltreatment at the hands of Robert and the Judge. Jane held his arm out for more photos, then Cho switched off his camera. Jane pulled his top down again and reclined comfortably on his bed, ready to be deposed. With probing questions from Cho while he recorded the session, Jane began a long story of false arrest and kidnapping, harsh work and intimidation, beatings and deprivation. What Jane had experienced for only 24 hours had been a daily occurrence for a year or more for some of the men. As Jane explained what had happened to him, Lisbon understood how hard his previous days had been. When all of the other men were deposed, their stories would match Jane's.

By the time Cho switched off his recorder, it was almost suppertime. Cho and Lisbon visited their friend, waiting until he was officially released. Life was beginning to feel normal again, with teasing and companionable silences helping Jane to pass the last hour or two as a patient. At the end of the afternoon, a doctor made an appearance to examine Jane's hand and arm, his abdomen and his jaw.

"Your hand is looking better, not so red. The swelling is already starting to go down, so in a couple of days please go to your own hospital for that fibreglass cast. Don't feel like you can use your arm when it no longer hurts. It can take up to a full year for the bone to be fully healed and hardened. Take care of yourself and you'll be fine in a few short weeks" he reminded Jane. "And rest! You need plenty of rest!"

"We'll make sure of that" Lisbon told the doctor.

"So I'm free to go?" Jane asked hopefully.

"Yes, as soon as I get your signature on this paper, you'll be free to leave. Take care Mr. Jane" the doctor said amiably.

Jane scrawled his name at the bottom of the paperwork and smiled at Cho and Lisbon. Time to get dressed and get out of Bee Cave Hospital!

"I'll wait outside" Lisbon suggested, heading for the door.

"Cho, don't go too far, I may need your help with a few things" Jane admitted, thinking about how to get into his clothes with only one good hand.

"No problem, call when you need me" Cho smiled as he laid Jane's clothes on the bed and then left.

A short time later, with a bit of help from Cho, Jane was dressed and ready to leave. He had given Lisbon his ring to keep safe in a zippered compartment of her shoulder bag and she felt honoured that he trusted her with his most treasured possession.

"Let's go home" Jane said as he joined his friends in the hallway, his arm supported in a smart black sling.

The drive to downtown Austin would take more than an hour due to heavy traffic, more than enough time to chat and get caught up with the latest news regarding the crime scene in Stanley Texas. Soon the prisoners would be transferred from their holding cells to the jail in the FBI building where Cho and Abbott would interrogate them. When that day came, Jane lurked outside the glass interview room, strolling by or sitting close to the room, smirking, unnerving the men who had taken him captive. None of the men arrested were allowed to see or speak to each other. By the end of the week they were in prison awaiting their trials. Judge Bachman remained aloof and indignant the whole time, certain that his status as a Judge would somehow afford him an easier time with law enforcement and incarceration. He was very wrong. Bullock and Tiller turned on each other, slinging accusations and telling tales to save themselves. All of the fight went out of Robert since he was, basically, a weak, brainless man. He turned on his Uncle and told the FBI how his Uncle ran a drug smuggling operation under the guise of a pecan distribution system. He also admitted to Cho that the story Judge Bachman loved to tell all of his prisoners about a dearly beloved daughter being killed by a drunk and high driver was just that, an intimidating but phony story to scare them into obedience as soon as they arrived at the Farm. For the Judge, his life was lie upon lie upon lie. Cadaver dogs found two bodies buried behind the house. The Judge was in no hurry to tell the FBI who those poor men were, so it would be up to the Forensic team to identify the bodies for the sake of their families.

(10 Months Later)

After a long wait in prison, it was finally time for Judge Bachman, Robert, Tiller and Bullock to face justice in a court of law in Austin. For all four men, it would be swift and harsh. Jane, Lisbon, Cho and Sheriff Jolliet were in attendance that day when sentences for the guilty were announced. Many of the former prisoners also showed up to see justice done.

With the eye witness testimony of Patrick Jane and the other former chain gang members, the jury had no problem finding the accused guilty as charged. The Judge and Tiller would both spend the rest of their lives in prison for kidnapping, false imprisonment, assault and drug dealing. The Judge had been using his pecan farm operation for transporting and distributing drugs both in the United States and across the border into Mexico. Robert was convicted of transporting those drugs, and assault, along with false imprisonment. He would spend the next 40 years in prison. For his part in this scheme, Bullock was found guilty of false arrest, false imprisonment, intimidation, and dereliction of duty. He would spend 30 years in prison. The last of the jailed men, Frank Tiller, was found guilty of being in possession of a stolen car and was jailed for 24 months. He got his divorce papers while sitting in prison.

Judge Bachman's farm was put up for sale and the proceeds went into a fund to help the former prisoners start their lives again. Jane didn't need the money, instead he added his portion to that assigned to Mike and Irma. Irma could now afford to live comfortably and her son Mike was able to go to school full-time, tuition free, as his goal was to eventually go on to law school. He hoped to help those people who were wrongfully incarcerated find their freedom. Eventually, out of great evil, goodness prevailed.


End file.
